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Everything You Need to Know About Norwegian’s Free at Sea in 2023

We detail everything you need to know about Norwegian's Free at Sea, and the new Free at Sea Plus, to help you make the right choice in 2023.

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Everything you need to know about norwegian’s free at sea, what is ncl’s free at sea.

Norwegian Cruise Line frequently runs its popular promotion called Free at Sea. Norwegian’s Free at Sea offer entitles guests to free perks like drink packages, specialty dining, WiFi, kids sail free (or 3rd & 4th guests sail free), and more.

The number of perks that cruisers receive does vary based on the current sale and the stateroom category booked. Usually, guests can get up to 5 free perks with this sale. Occasionally, there are up to 6 perks if airfare is part of the current promotion.

For example, NCL’s Free at Sea previously offered guests who booked Studio, Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, or Club Balcony Suite rooms the ability to choose 2 free perks. Guests who booked Suites and the Haven received all 5 free perks. Recently though, guests booking most cabin categories can receive all 5 free perks. Now, that’s a good deal!

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This promotion offers guests a more all-inclusive experience, where they will know the majority of their cruise costs upfront and not have to worry about the bill at the end of the cruise.

Related Post: Beginner’s Guide to Cruise Planning

It is important to read the fine print at the time of your booking as the terms of the promotion can change. For instance, some categories like Studio and Inside have only qualified for 1 perk in the past.

Further, the cheapest fares are usually “Sail Away” rates, or guaranteed rates . These rates are often excluded from the promotion.

All perks included in this offer have no monetary value. Thus, if you opt to decline any of the entitled perks (which you can), you will not receive a refund nor can you gift it to someone else.

Further, it can vary as to how many guests in the stateroom receive each perk. For instance, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea provides drink packages to all guests but dining packages only to the first 2 guests on the reservation.

This promotion can be combined with other offers being run by the cruise line like 2 for 1 deposits. It can also be combined with travel agent offers, like extra perks or onboard credit. This is one of the easiest ways to save money when booking a cruise.

You must select your Free at Sea choices at least 24 hours prior to sailing. Further, it is important to know that both 1st and 2nd guests in the stateroom need to pick the same perks.

See below for further clarifications on each NCL Free at Sea perk.

NCL’s Free at Sea Terms and Conditions:

• Valid on 3+ night sailings
• Free at Sea choice(s) must be selected at least 24 hours prior to sailing and cannot be changed on board
• Offer is capacity controlled and can be withdrawn at anytime
• Singles paying 200% of voyage fare qualify
•  All guests in stateroom must choose same offer
• Government taxes, port expenses & fees, discretionary onboard service charges and/or gratuities are additional
• Not applicable to chartered dates
• This promotion is not applicable on the land portion of Cruisetours
• Components included in this offer have no monetary value, are non-refundable and non-transferable
• Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to cancel or withdraw this offer at any time

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What are the Norwegian’s Free at Sea Perks?

Free unlimited open bar package.

The most popular of Norwegian’s Free at Sea perks is the Unlimited Open Bar Package. This perk entitles guests 1-8 on the reservation a Norwegian Cruise Line Premium beverage package .

Do know that a 20% gratuity is added to all “free” beverage packages.

Guests under 21 years of age will get a soda package as a substitution, only if they are the first or second guest on the reservation. If guests 3-8 are under 21 years of age, a soda package will not be given as a substitution.

The retail value of the Unlimited Open Bar Package is $109 per person, per day. The retail value of the Soda Package is $7.95 per person, per day.

Guests can upgrade from the free Open Bar Package (Premium drink package) to the Premium Plus drink package for $29 a day per person.

What does the Free at Sea beverage package include?

The NCL “free drink package”, which is provided as part of the NCL Free at Sea promotion, includes the following beverages:

• Select premium cocktails & spirits under $15 USD
• A variety of beer and wine by the glass under $15 USD
• 20% off all bottles of champagne and wine
• Unlimited soft drinks and juices

The Premium beverage package includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass, and bottled or draft beer up to $15. Further, this package includes unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants, and the private island of Great Stirrup Cay (though not Harvest Caye).

Any items over $15 will receive a $15 discount; you will then need to pay only the difference.

Further, eligible guests are entitled to two beverages per person per transaction.

The Premium beverage package does not include room service, ship specific promotions or beer buckets, designated Super Premium brands, bottled wine or liquor, or mini bar purchases. For a list of included brands, see  here .

It also does not include Wine and Spirit Experiences, tastings or flights, Starbucks, Ice Bars, and wine stations.

Unlike most other cruise lines, premium non-alcoholic drinks are not part of this beverage package either. Guests will still need to pay extra for items like bottled water, fresh squeezed juices, specialty coffee beverages, and energy drinks.

However, guests will receive a 20% discount on bottles of wine, Wine and Spirit Experiences, and tastings or flights purchased onboard the ship.

Guests who choose to upgrade to the Premium Plus beverage package can enjoy all of the previous inclusions in addition to the following beverages.

• All top-shelf cocktails & spirits
• All beer, champagne, and wine by the glass
• Select premium bottles of champagne and wine with dinner and 40% off all other bottles
• Unlimited still & sparkling bottled water
• All Starbucks coffee & specialty drinks

Free Specialty Dining

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its Freestyle Approach to dining. This means no set dinner times, table arrangements, or main dining room. Instead, the cruise line offers a variety of dining options.

While there are several complimentary options, many of the dining venues do charge an additional fee. 

Luckily, there is the Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Package (SDP).

This package entitles users to dine at many of the for-fee restaurants on any NCL ship for one set price. More importantly, this specialty dining package is commonly one of NCL’s Free at Sea perks.

The specialty dining package perk is only applicable to the first two guests on the reservation.

At the cruise line’s signature Cagney’s Steakhouse and Le Bistro, you can order as many starters, sides, and desserts as you want. However, you can only order one entree. You will need to pay a la carte pricing for any additional entrees.

Further, a SDP meal in Food Republic, Pincho Tapas Bar, and Wasabi includes 4 menu items per person.

Room Service, Starbucks, The Bake Shop, Coco’s, Dolce Gelato, Jazz Brunch, or Wine Lovers and Murder Mystery lunches are not part of the specialty dining package. Beverages are also not included.

Additionally, cruisers can use a specialty dining meal credit for entertainment-based restaurants for an additional surcharge (like Cirque Dreams). However, if you wish to use a SDP meal credit, you will need to wait until you are onboard the ship to book.

Of course, even if you receive the package for free at part of a promotion, you can always purchase an additional specialty dining package for extra meals.

Prior to your sail date, you may receive promotional offers to upgrade your dining package with additional meals for a discounted price.

How many meals are in Norwegian’s Free at Sea?

As of January 18, 2022, this perk has been updated, or rather downgraded! Now, the number of meals received is based on the length of the cruise AND the stateroom category booked.

Previously, all guests used to receive 1 free meal for 3-5 night cruises and 2 free meals for 6-8 night cruises. Further, 9-10 day cruises qualified for 3 meals, 11-14 days 4 meals, and 15+ days 5 meals.

Now, all guests will receive the following:

• 1 meal for 3-6 night cruises regardless of cabin category
• Balcony and above will receive 2 free meals for 7-11 night cruises
• Guests on 7-11 night cruises who book a studio, inside, or oceanview will only get 1 free meal
• On 12+ night cruises, guests get 2 meals for studio, inside, and oceanview or 3 meals for balcony and above.

See the below chart for the specialty dining breakdown.

Additionally, guests must pay a 20% gratuity on the retail value of the Specialty Dining Package prior to their cruise.

Cruisers can use Norwegian Cruise Line Specialty Dining Packages at most specialty venues. These include American Diner, Cagney’s Steakhouse, Food Republic, La Cucina, Onda by Scarpetta , Le Bistro, Los Lobos, Moderno Churrascaria, Ocean Blue, Bayamo, Pincho Tapas Bar, Q Texas Smokehouse , The Raw Bar, and Teppanyaki.

Free Shore Excursions

Another common perk of Norwegian’s Free at Sea promotion is free shore excursions . If you are new to cruising, you may not know the lingo.

The term “shore excursion” can refer to any number of different activities that occur at each port of call. Cruise shore excursions occur off of the ship and are completed during the hours you are docked at the port.

Shore excursions give cruisers the opportunity to maximize their time ashore while eliminating some of the leg work of planning (tickets, transportation, etc.) for a DIY tour. These tours are usually designed to highlight the best attractions that the area has to offer.

NCL’s Free at Sea free shore excursions offer qualifies the first guest only on the reservation for a credit of $50 per port.

Guests can use this credit to purchase any tour offered by the cruise line. If the tour is less than $50, no refund will be issued. If the tour is more than $50, the guest will be responsible to pay the difference.

Latitude member discounts are combinable with this perk. Though, the $50 shore excursion credit does not apply to equipment rentals in Great Stirrup Cay or Harvest Caye ports of call.

Pre-cruise and post-cruise land tours are not eligible for this promotion.

The retail value of this perk will be based on the number of ports of call scheduled for your itinerary.

Another one of Norwegian’s Free at Sea perks is free WiFi. This perk has also changed as of January 18, 2022.

Again, this perk is based on the length of your cruise. While Norwegian Cruise Line does offer an unlimited internet package , guests will only receive a certain number of minutes with this free perk.

NCL’s Free at Sea WiFi perk provides:

• 75 minutes per person for 3-6 Day Cruises
• 150 minutes per person for 7-11 Day Cruises
• 300 minutes per person for 12+ Day Cruises

These minutes are per person , not per stateroom which is an improvement from the past. Bookings will receive two logins per stateroom.

Of note, internet packages are not available on Great Stirrup Cay or Harvest Caye. Further, these minutes can only be used on one device at a time.

It is important to know that while cruise ship internet is getting faster, it may never be as reliable as your internet back home. Cruise ship internet depends on satellite connections and geographical location. The ship’s distance offshore as well as interference from landscapes and weather can all cause variable cruise ship internet speeds.

Thus, you should be able to use these internet minutes for basic tasks like checking email and posting on social media. However, you shouldn’t plan on using these minutes for streaming purposes.

Like the previous perks, you can always upgrade your WiFi package. Cruisers often receive promotions to upgrade at discounted rates prior to their cruise.

The standard price for the Unlimited WiFi package is $25.50 for one device. The Unlimited WiFi with streaming package is $34.99 for one device. There are also 2-device and 4-device packages available.

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Free 3rd and 4th Guest

This Norwegian Cruise Line Free at Sea perk is exactly what it sounds like. This promotion is also sometimes called Kids Sail Free. Basically, this offer is valid for guests 3-4 sharing a stateroom with guests 1-2 paying full fare.

This offer is only applicable on select sailings. Thus, popular times of the year like school breaks and holidays are not usually part of the promotion.

If there are guests 5-8 in a reservation, those guests will pay prevailing fares.

Free Airfare for 2nd Guest

This offer is valid on select 7+ night sailings only. With this perk, the second guest on the reservation flies for free when buying airfare for the first guest. Offer is not applicable to guests 3-8 on the reservation.

Generally, guests must make the reservation more than 75 days prior to sailing to qualify.

Further, this air offer applies to economy, round-trip flights from select departure gateways only.

Solo traveling guests will receive 50% off Norwegian Cruise Line’s promotional airfare pricing each way.

Airline-imposed personal charges such as baggage fees are not included and are paid directly to the airline.

Terms and Conditions:

• For Domestic flights, airfare will include a maximum of one connection when possible; air schedules permitting
• For International flights, airfare will include a maximum of two connections when possible; air schedules permitting
• If flying from the West Coast to the East Coast of the U.S., guests may receive an overnight flight
• For cruises concluding on the East Coast of the US, guests may receive a flight that departs up to 10:30 p.m.
• For cruises concluding on the West Coast of the U.S. with guests returning home to a city located on the East Coast or central U.S., guests may be reserved on a flight that departs up to 11:59 p.m.
• Guests embarking or disembarking in PortMiami may be reserved on flights arriving or departing at Miami International Airport (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
• Guests embarking or disembarking in Manhattan Cruise Terminal (New York City) may be reserved on flights arriving or departing at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), or John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Guests embarking or disembarking in Quebec City may be reserved on flights arriving or departing from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to ensure the most convenient schedule

Does Norwegian’s Free at Sea include gratuities?

NCL’s Free at Sea promotion does not typically include gratuities as one of its perks.

The current rates for NCL cruise gratuities are as follows:

• $25 for guests staying in the Haven and Suites
• $20 for all other staterooms, Club Balcony Suites and below

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay gratuities before the sail date, prices are as follows:

• $20 per person per day for The Haven and Suites
• $18 per person per day for Club Balcony Suite
• $16 per person per day for all other stateroom types

Is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea Good for All Itineraries?

Generally speaking, NCL’s Free at Sea is applicable to all sailings of 3 nights or greater. Chartered sailings and land portions of Cruisetours are the exceptions.

Hawaii sailings offer a slightly modified Free at Sea promotion.

The Hawaii Beverage Package is applicable to Pride of America sailings only, for guests 1-8 on the reservation. This package includes a variety of beverages up to $15. It also includes fountain soda, freshly squeezed juice, bottled water (flat and sparkling), non-alcoholic beer, and specialty coffee in the dining room only. The package does not include specialty coffee outside of the restaurants, room service, mini bar purchases, or vending machines.

NCL’s Disclaimer: “The purchase of any alcoholic drinks within the Hawaii Beverage Package may, in certain individual circumstances, be restricted in accordance with Hawaii’s Intoxicating Liquor Law and applicable local rules and regulations.”

Retail value of the Hawaii Beverage Package is $109 per person, per day.

Like the traditional Free Open Bar perk, guests sailing in Hawaii need to pay the 20% gratuity on this “free perk”.

Is Norwegian’s Free at Sea Really Free?

Some of Norwegian’s Free at Sea perks are truly “free” while some are not.

In terms of the Free Open Bar, guests will still need to pay gratuity on this “free” perk. The 20% service charge for a 7-day cruise will cost each guest $152.60 for the Premium Beverage package. The Soda Package gratuity is $1.59 per person, per day. This gratuity is added to the total cruise fare at the time of booking.

While this is a great value, it is still a considerable amount to pay for a “free” perk. Thus, you can choose to opt out of the drink package if offered all 5 perks. If offered two perks, you could choose 2 alternate instead. This is especially applicable to guests who do not drink alcoholic beverages.

Further, if you enjoy specialty coffee or want bottled water, you will have to pay extra to upgrade to the Premium Plus beverage package.

Similarly, guests need to pay gratuity on the specialty dining package as well. This 20% service charge is $10 for a 7-11 day cruise in a studio, inside, or oceanview room. The gratuity is $17.80 per package for balcony and above cabins.

This does not include any additional tips that you would like to provide to your waitstaff.

In terms of the free shore excursions, the $50 credit per stateroom will not cover much. So, you will likely need to pay extra to cover the costs of shore excursions.

Of course, if you planned on booking shore excursions anyway, this is free money. Although, if you are booking them just to utilize the credit, it will likely cost you extra.

When taking advantage of the Friends and Family Sail Free perk, you will still need to pay the Government Taxes, Fees, and Port Expenses for “sail free” guests. These fees vary based on the itinerary but will likely cost $200+ each guest.

One final thing to consider. Cheaper room categories often qualify for less perks, but they are CHEAPER. If you are paying more money for a higher room category just to score the free perks, you will need to determine if it is worth it for you.

What Perks Should I Pick from Norwegian’s Free at Sea?

What perks should I pick from NCL’s Free at Sea? This is one of our most frequently asked questions. Of course, this only becomes a consideration if you are not receiving all 5 free perks as part of the promotion.

So, let’s review retail values of each perk based on a 7-day cruise.

• Open Bar- $763 per person
• Specialty Dining- $89 per person for 1st and 2nd guests ($50 for lower room categories)
• Shore Excursions- $50 per port, per stateroom
• WiFi- 150 minutes with two logins per stateroom, valued at $125

Based on retail value, choosing the Free Open Bar is a no-brainer for most. It will save you the most money on your cruise, but only if you drink alcoholic beverages.

Remember, as mentioned above, you are still paying the gratuities on this package. Thus, if you don’t think that both guests will drink at least $150 or so in alcoholic beverages over the week (say 2 drinks/day), then you probably shouldn’t opt for this perk. Or, you might decline this perk if you are given all 5 offers.

If you are sailing with family, the 3rd & 4th guests sail free is the other obvious choice. This perk will save you hundreds of dollars as well.

The other 3 perks are much closer in value. So, it really comes down to your preferences. We usually opt for the specialty dining as we enjoy NCL’s specialty restaurants.

Honestly, the WiFi is slow compared to some other mainstream cruise lines. So, you will likely eat up those minutes pretty quickly. If you do want or need internet during your cruise, we recommend purchasing an unlimited package.

If you are planning to book shore excursions in multiple ports, this perk might be a good value. However, if you plan to stay on the ship at some ports or have a lot of sea days in your itinerary, this might not be the best option.

Further, you don’t need to book shore excursions through the cruise line. You could wander the port on your own or purchase cheaper and often more authentic experiences through local tour providers.

If given 2 free perks, we always pick the drink package and dining package. Of course, timing your booking with a promotion that offers all 5 free perks for a balcony stateroom is even better!

Is Free at Sea worth it?

The answer to this question should be based on your own personal habits. However, the answer is typically yes. If you will likely purchase any of these perks, it is probably cheaper to opt for the Free at Sea promotion.

Remember, if you don’t think you will break even on the gratuity aspect of the drink package or don’t want the dining package, you can opt out and still get the remaining perks.

If you don’t care about alcoholic drinks or specialty dining, or your room location, you can certainly save money with a Sail Away rate.

What is Free at Sea Plus?

Norwegian’s Free at Sea Plus is a newer offering from the cruise line. This package is an upgrade from the promotional Free at Sea package. Guests can upgrade their free perks to a more premium level for $49 per person, per day.

The Free at Sea Plus package includes:

• Premium Plus beverage package for Guests 1&2
• Two additional specialty dining meals for Guests 1&2
• Additional $50 shore excursion credit per tour for Guest 2
• Unlimited WiFi (no streaming) for Guests 1&2

If the second guest on the reservation is a child or you are cruising solo, see here for variations to this Free at Sea Plus package. Of note, the upgrade price will be cheaper for the 2nd guest if under 21 years old ($29). It is also cheaper for solo travelers ($42).

Further, if you want streaming WiFi, you can upgrade the Free at Sea Plus WiFi to streaming for $10 pp/day.

• Available on 3+ night sailings except charters
• Available fleetwide except on Pride of America
• Applicable to all stateroom categories except Sail Away rates
• Offer is capacity controlled
• Solo travelers are not entitled to additional shore excursion credit

Is Free at Sea Plus worth it?

So, with this new perk, it comes down to whether it is worth it or not to upgrade. Should you upgrade from the “free” Free at Sea promotion to the Free at Sea Plus package?

Once again, this is an individual decision. Basically, you will need to decide whether you would spend more than $49 per day on these extra perks.

When looking at the shore excursion credit alone, it would not be worth it as the $50 is only for port days.

When looking at the two additional specialty dinners alone, it would not be worth it either. This package is $99 (or less than $15 per day). Not to mention, you can often score a dining package upgrade on the Free at Sea at a discounted price.

In terms of WiFi, the Unlimited WiFi (in the Free at Sea Plus) is only $25.50 per day to purchase.

Looking at the drink package alone, guests can upgrade to the Premium Plus package for $29 per day.

So, generally speaking, if you plan to purchase the drink package upgrade and at least one other perk, then Free at Sea Plus is probably worth it for you.

If you are interested in two perks, but one of them is NOT the drink package, it’s probably not worth it. Likewise, if you only want one perk it is not worth it either.

For us, we enjoy the added benefits of the Premium Plus drink package, like Starbucks and bottled water. We also enjoy NCL’s specialty restaurants and would upgrade our WiFi package anyway. Thus, the Free at Sea Plus makes sense for us and helps to save us money.

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What are your favorite Norwegian’s Free at Sea perks? Do you find upgrading to the Free at Sea Plus a good value? Drop us an anchor below to share your experiences cruising with NCL.

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We’re doing one of these cruises next summer, and it’s me and my husband, and two kids under 18. When I asked about the free drink package, they said my husband and I (guests 1&2) will receive the premium open bar package, but the kids (guests 3&4) will NOT receive the soda package free. They told me that the free soda package only applied if the minors are guests 1 or 2. ?

Of course, now I’m wondering if I could switch my husband to be guest 2 and make my teen guest 2 for his soda package, since guest 3 over 21 still gets the premium bar option free.

This makes no sense to me.

I mean change my husband to guest 3 and my kid to guest 2.

Or book two staterooms. My family is 2 adults, 2 children. We booked two rooms, each with one adult and one child. The cruise itself cost about $150-200 more, but we’re getting two free airfares instead of one, and everyone gets a drink and upgraded dining package… not to mention twice the cabin space!

Thank you for your detailed description. If I’m traveling with my 17 year old daughter in a balcony room and upgrade to Free at Sea Plus, will she be able to order Starbucks, energy drinks, bottled water or just the soda package? I can’t get an answer from NCL.

Thank you for all info. It was very helpful. If you don’t drink alcohol, do they let you substitute that option for another 2 specialty meals? Also, how do you opt out of alcohol pkg if you get 5 free upgrades? My cruise free at sea pkg was just added. I didn’t see a choice to opt out??

Beverages are not included at the specialty dining venues? even if one has the free at sea dining package and the beverage package?

The info you provided here is priceless. Thank you so much –

DB & The Princess

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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Norwegian Cruise Line Internet Packages and Prices

If you're looking to connect to the internet, make a call or find a computer on your next Norwegian Cruise Line sailing, here is what you'll need to know.

What is the Wi-Fi availability and internet package pricing on a Norwegian cruise?

Every ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet is Wi-Fi enabled. To use the internet at sea on your personal device (mobile, tablet or laptop), you will need to purchase an internet package in addition to paying a onetime activation fee.

Among the many package options, cruisers on all Norwegian ships are able to purchase unlimited packages for the entire sailing -- $29.99 per day for unlimited internet usage on sailings up to 12 days long, and $24.99 per day for sailings 13 days or longer.

If you don't want an unlimited plan your choices are as follows:

By Data Used: Norwegian Breakaway is the only ship offering plans that charge for data used, rather than time spent online. Those rates are $59 for 300 megabytes or $125 for 1,000 megabytes.

By the Minute: The rest of the Norwegian fleet offers internet packages based on minutes. Excluding Norwegian Sky, internet package rates are $75 for 100 minutes or $125 for 250 minutes. Norwegian Sky charges exclusive rates of $39 for 60 minutes or $55 for 100 minutes.

Norwegian's long-running Free at Sea promotion includes a number of value-added perks depending on which cabin category you book. One of the perks offered is a complimentary 250-minute internet plan.

Does Norwegian Cruise Line have its own app?

Yes, the Cruise Norwegian app, which is available on every ship in the fleet and is free to download. Cruisers can use the app to review their onboard account and track purchases; book shore excursions and dining reservations; get a daily schedule of each day's events and favorite what they want; review disembarkation information; and call and message other passengers onboard who are also using the app. (The call and messaging functionality incurs a one-time fee.)

How do I make a phone call on Norwegian Cruise Line?

Phones are available in every ship cabin, and outside calls can be made for a steep price.

Depending on their mobile carrier, passengers might be able to make and receive calls on their mobile phones, even in the middle of the ocean, using the ship's satellite connection. Be warned: Roaming charges apply to calls made from your cell while cruising. Check with your service provider before setting sail to make sure you purchase the right travel plan -- some carriers offer plans specifically for cruisers -- and know the fees attached. (To avoid roaming, switch your cell service to airplane mode.)

Both the iConcierge and Cruise Norwegian apps can use VoIP (Voice over IP technology) to make ship-to-shore and shore-to-ship calls, for a per-minute fee.

Additionally, if you have Wi-Fi calling enabled on your cellphone and have purchased an internet package, you can use that to make phone calls for free.

Does Norwegian Cruise Line have computers available for use?

Subject to availability, laptop rentals are complimentary with the purchase of any internet package. Small 24-hour internet cafes are also on all ships, offering the use of desktop computers with a few included websites. Printers are also typically located here, and you can print for a small fee.

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Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea: Ultimate Guide

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive compensation when you purchase via my links at no cost to you. See my disclosure for more information.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea promotion is one of the most popular offers in the cruise industry.

The cruise line offers cruise passengers a choice of free perks that include free drink packages, shore excursion credits, free internet, and more.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Table of Contents

What is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea promotion is a flagship offer that bundles a selection of complimentary perks designed to enhance your vacation at sea. The Free at Sea program allows you to customize their cruise package with several addons at a free or reduced rate.

The promotion offers five free perks to enhance your cruise vacation:

• Free Open Bar : Enjoy a wide array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout your cruise, making your vacation truly all-inclusive​ ​.
• Free Specialty Dining : Experience the cruise line’s exquisite specialty restaurants with complimentary meals, adding a gourmet touch to your journey​ ​.
• Free Shore Excursions : Get credits towards exploring the ports you visit, enriching your travel experience with new adventures​ ​.
• Free WiFi : Stay connected with free internet minutes, allowing you to share your experiences or stay in touch while at sea​ ​.
• Free Guests : Benefit from special rates where the 3rd and 4th guests in your cabin might sail for free, perfect for family vacations or group travel​ ​.

Additionally, Norwegian Cruise Line periodically enriches this promotion with new benefits, like free airfare for the second guest and onboard credits for future cruises.

The number of perks you can select varies by promotion and your stateroom category. The higher the stateroom category, the more bonuses you can choose.

Studio and inside cabins can select one perk, while Suites and The Haven receive all five benefits.

NCL sometimes runs a promotion where you’ll receive all five perks regardless of your cabin category. It’s a great way to enhance your cruise experience without breaking the bank.

Norwegian’s Free at Sea Perks

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea promotion offers a variety of perks that can significantly enhance your cruising experience.

The cruise line offers five core perks that are always available:

• Free Open Bar : Enjoy unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages throughout your cruise​ ​.
• Free Shore Excursions : Get credits to use for tours and activities, allowing you to explore the ports you visit.
• Free Third and Fourth Guests : Benefit from special rates where the 3rd and 4th guests in your cabin sail for free, perfect for family vacations or group travel​ ​.

While the core perks remain a staple of the Free at Sea offer, Norwegian periodically enhances the deal with additional bonuses. Recent additions have included free airfare for the second guest, onboard credit, and discounts on future cruises.

Let’s look at the five core perks to help you choose the right one for your cruise vacation.

Free Open Bar

The Free Open Bar perk is the most popular choice among Norwegian cruisers. Guests who choose the Free Open Bar receive the  Norwegian Cruise Line Unlimited Open Bar Package for free. It allows you to enjoy unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout your cruise.

This perk provides the greatest cost-benefit as the drink package typically costs $109 per person per day plus a 20% automatic gratuity.

Editor’s Tip

It’s important to note that the Open Bar isn’t truly free. The Open Bar perk gives you the Premium Beverage package at no cost, but you’ll have to pay the 20% daily gratuity at checkout.

The Free Open Bar includes unlimited soda, juice, beer, wine by the glass, cocktails, and spirits up to $15 per drink. If you order an item over $15, you simply pay the difference between the price of the beverage and $15.

You’ll also receive a 20% discount on bottles of wine and champagne , wine experiences, tastings, and flights.

It’s important to note that the Unlimited Open Bar Package doesn’t include room service, specialty coffee, energy drinks, fresh-squeezed juices, ship-specific promotions, buckets of beer, mini bar purchases, bottles of wine, Starbucks, or drinks designated Super Premium brands.

The Open Bar drink package excludes Starbucks, room service, beer buckets, mini bar purchases, energy drinks, bottled water, beer buckets, and super-premium brands. However, guests can use the drink package to purchase bottles of wine or liquor and tastings and flights at a 20% discount.

While you can enjoy unlimited drinks on the cruise ship, the package doesn’t extend to Norwegian’s private island , Great Stirrup Cay, or their private resort, Harvest Caye.

The Open Bar perk is by far the most popular choice among cruisers. It offers the biggest cost savings and provides you with unlimited beverage choices .

It’s also my preferred pick as I love a good espresso martini, and drink a bit more soda than I’d like to admit.

But it’s not for everyone.

I advise choosing the Open Bar perk if you have an average beverage consumption of $20 per day. Otherwise, you’re better off selecting another bonus.

Note: Passengers under the age of 21, who are the first or second guests on the reservation, will instead receive the soda package valued at $9.95 per person, per day.

Free Specialty Dining

The Free Specialty Dining perk provides the first and second guests in your reservation (aged two years and older) with a Norwegian Cruise Line Dining Package. The package includes one or more meals at the ship’s specialty restaurants, depending on the length of your cruise and your cabin category.

However, like the Open Bar perk, you must pay a 20% gratuity on the package’s value—underscoring that while the dining experience is included, it’s not entirely “free.”

The number of meals you get varies by the length of the cruise:

• Three- to Six-Night Cruises : Any cabin category receives one meal, with a $59 value and an $11.80 gratuity per package.
• Seven- to 11-Night Cruises : Guests in studio, inside, or oceanview cabins are granted one meal ($59 value, $11.80 gratuity), while those in balcony cabins or above enjoy two meals ($99 value, $19.80 gratuity).
• Twelve-Night Cruises or Longer : Two meals are included for guests in studio, inside, or oceanview cabins ($99 value, $19.80 gratuity), and three meals for those in balcony cabins or above ($139 value, $27.80 gratuity).

You can use the package to dine at several of the onboard specialty restaurants, including:

• Cagney’s Steakhouse
• Food Republic
• Moderno Churrascaria
• Q Texas Smokehouse
• Onda by Scarpetta

When dining à la carte, the package entitles you to one appetizer, one soup or salad, one main course, and one dessert with additional main courses available at their à la carte prices.

Also, certain venues and items like those at Harvest Caye restaurants, The Bake Shop, Ice Cream Bar, gelato, Jazz Brunch, Wine Lovers, and Murder Mystery lunches are not covered by the dining packages.

To fully enjoy the benefits of the Free Specialty Dining perk, make reservations early, especially for popular venues as they book full quickly.

If you need to stay connected at sea, you can opt for NCL’s free wifi perk.

Unlike Norwegian Cruise Line’s unlimited internet package , the free wifi perk provides you with a limited number of minutes for each cruise. With the free wifi perk, you’ll receive:

• 75 minutes on 3-6 day itineraries
• 150 minutes on 7-11 day sailings
• 300 minutes on 12+ day cruises

The WiFi perk applies to the first and second guests on the reservation, with each room receiving two internet logins. You can use the internet on one device at a time.

You’ll receive the basic internet service, which provides web browsing, email support, social media, and access to chat messaging. But you can’t stream or use a VPN.

You can use the WiFi from anywhere on the cruise ship, but the package doesn’t include internet access on Norwegian’s private islands , Great Stirrup Cay or Harvest Caye.

It’s important to note that cruise ship internet is improving, but it’s much slower than you’re used to back home. While the internet will be fast enough for basic browsing, instant messaging, and email, be prepared for longer loading times.

To make the most of your Free WiFi perk, consider the following tips:

• Log Out Properly : Ensure you log out correctly after each session to avoid using up your minutes inadvertently.
• Manage Usage : Save data-heavy activities like video streaming or large downloads for when you’re on shore and can access free WiFi spots.
• Prioritize Your Activities : Use your onboard internet access for important tasks like checking in for flights, making reservations, or staying in touch with loved ones.

Free Shore Excursions ($50 Shore Excursion Credits)

Exploring new destinations is a cornerstone of the cruising experience, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free Shore Excursion perk, part of their Free at Sea promotion, adds incredible value to this aspect of your journey.

The Free Shore Excursion perk provides a $50 credit per port for the first guest on the booking. You can apply the shore excursion credit towards any Norwegian-sponsored shore excursion.

However, it’s important to note that any unused portion of the credit for a particular port cannot be rolled over or refunded. If your tour costs more than $50, you only need to pay the difference.

Here are some essential details to consider:

• Equipment rentals at Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye
• Pre/post-cruise land tours or private or custom excursions; however, group tours on debarkation day qualify
• The first guest can use the credit across multiple excursions per port, but not for purchasing tickets for themselves and a companion on the same tour.
• If a port visit or excursion is canceled, refunds will be issued for any amount paid beyond the $50 credit, not for the credit itself.

Free Extra Guests

The “Free Third and Fourth Guests” offer is designed with families and groups in mind. It makes cruising more accessible and affordable.

When two guests book a stateroom at a regular fare, they can bring along two more guests—whether they’re children, friends, or extended family members.

The first two guests pay the full cruise fare, while the third and fourth guests sail free. Sometimes, the perk is modified, where the third and fourth guests pay $99 per person.

A nominal fee considering the cost of a cruise vacation .

The third and fourth guests must pay and are responsible for paying taxes and port fees. These fees can fluctuate depending on the cruise’s duration and route, sometimes exceeding $200 per person for week-long journeys.

This deal is particularly appealing for families, allowing parents to take their children on a memorable vacation without the financial strain of additional full fares. You may find the perk renamed “Kids Sail Free” because it is typically used by families.

This offer isn’t available on all sailings. As you can expect, popular times of year are excluded from this perk, such as Christmas, New Year, and March Break.

If more than four guests are on a reservation, guests five to eight will pay the total cruise fares.

Which Norwegian Cruise Free at Sea Perks Should I Choose?

If you only have a limited number of perks, which perk should you choose?

Before deciding which perk you should choose, here are the retail values of the extras for a 7-night cruise:

• Open Bar:  $763 per person
• Specialty Dining:  Up to $89 per person for the 1st and 2nd guests
• Shore Excursion Credit:  $50 per port, per stateroom
• Free Internet:  $125 for 150 minutes
• 3rd and 4th Guest Sail Free:  Varies

The Free Open Bar is a no-brainer based on the retail value alone. This perk is the most popular choice as it has the highest retail value, saving you the most money.

But it’s not worth it if you’re not a big drinker.

In making your selection, weigh your personal preferences and potential savings of each perk. If the open bar doesn’t align with your drinking habits, its cost savings won’t translate into real savings for you, making it less appealing.

Similarly, if you’re cruising with a larger party, choosing the “3rd & 4th guests sail free” perk is an obvious choice. Though the retail value varies, this perk can save you hundreds of dollars on your cruise fare.

The other three perks are close in value.

So, it comes down to choosing which perk is best for your preferences . Given the three remaining choices, I usually select the free dinner package for a fun night at one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s specialty restaurants.

What is Free at Sea Plus?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea Plus offers even more perks for $49 per person or $29 per child per day.

Free at Sea Plus provides several upgraded perks, including:

• Upgraded Open Bar: With Free at Sea Plus, your drink package is upgraded to the Premium Plus Beverage Package. The Premium drink package includes top-shelf cocktails, beer, Champagne, glasses of wine, bottled water, Starbucks coffee, specialty coffee and tea, and energy drinks. You also receive a 40% discount on premium bottles of wine and Champagne.
• More Specialty Dining: The first two guests on the reservation receive an additional two specialty dining meals.
• More Shore Excursion Credits: The second guest on the reservation also receives a $50 shore excursion credit at every port of call.
• Unlimited WiFi: The first and second guests receive the Norwegian Cruise Lines Unlimited WiFi Package. The internet plan provides unlimited web browsing, email, social media, and messaging but no access to streaming. You can upgrade to NCL’s Unlimited Premium WiFi with streaming for an additional $10 per person per day.

Free at Sea Plus upgrades four perks, providing a wider selection of beverages, extra dining options, and unlimited Wi-Fi.

In my experience, it’s worth upgrading to Free at Sea Plus for most people. I love the extra two specialty dining meals, unlimited WiFi, and my partner receives a shore excursion credit. Upgrading to Free at Sea Plus is a no-brainer if you prefer top-shelf liquor.

Is Norwegian’s Free at Sea Really Free?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea promotion offers enticing perks, but it’s essential to understand that not all the perks are truly “free.”

The Free Open Bar and Free Specialty Dining have an automatic 20% gratuity . While not completely free, these perks still offer incredible savings.

At $109 per person per day, you’ll be paying $21.80 per day when you select the Free Open Bar. That’s $152.60 for a 7-night cruise.

If you choose the special dining package, you’ll pay $20 per person for a 7-day cruise in a studio, inside, or oceanview stateroom and $27.80 per package for a 7-day cruise in a balcony or above stateroom category.

Even the free sailing perk for the third and fourth guests has hidden costs. Although the base fare is free when using the extra, you’re required to pay the taxes, fees, and port expenses for the third and fourth guests.

The free shore excursion credit provides $50 at each port of call. There aren’t any strings attached, but you’ll have a hard time finding a tour for less than $50. That means you’ll often pay a portion of every shore excursion.

My Thoughts

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea offers incredible value for passengers. But calling it “Free” at Sea is a bit misleading. The perks provide incredible value, and I’m always happy to take advantage of the savings. But Free at Sea isn’t truly free.

Make sure you understand the fine print before making your selection.

Can You Opt Out of Free at Sea Perks?

You can opt out of specific Free at Sea Offers . For example, if you want the Open Bar package but not the Specialty Dining, you can choose to keep the Open Bar and forgo the Specialty Dining Package.

My sister doesn’t drink much alcohol. So for her it’s not worth paying the $21.80 daily gratuity. She finds it more cost-effective to purchase individual drinks. But she loves trying new foods. My sister always opts out of the Open Bar but keeps her Specialty Dining offer.

Free at Terms Fine Print

Norwegian Cruise Line reserves the right to change the promotion terms at any time. For example, the number of choices you receive fluctuates throughout the year.

Further, Norwegian’s “Sail Away” rates are often excluded from the Free at Sea promotions.

Tip: If you aren’t interested in the Free at Sea perks, booking “Sail Away” cabins is a great way to save money. Often, you can find balcony cabin rates that are $130 cheaper or more for a 7-night cruise.

All perks included in the promotion have no monetary value, are non-refundable, and are non-transferable. If you choose to decline any bonuses to which you are entitled, you will not receive a refund and cannot gift it to anyone else.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea offer can be combined with other offers being run by the cruise line, except for the aforementioned “Sail Away” rates. You can combine the Free at Sea promotion with travel agent offers like extra perks, onboard credit, or free drinks. Stacking benefits is one of the easiest ways to save money when booking your cruise vacation.

As with any promotion, it is essential to read the fine print when booking.

You can read a complete list of terms and conditions at  https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/termsandconditions/promotions

Final Thoughts: Is Norwegian Free at Sea Worth It?

Despite not being truly “free”, Nowegian’s Free at Sea is worth it. The perks provide incredible savings for passengers.

The value you receive depends on how you use the perks.

For example. When you select the Open Bar offer, you’ll still pay a $21.80 daily gratuity. If you don’t consume $22 worth of drinks, you’ll spend more than you receive. As long as you drink more than $22 in beverage value Free at Sea is worth it.

You should follow a similar thought process when looking at the other perks. Consider the hidden costs of each perk before making your selection.

If you plan to take full advantage of the offerings, such as enjoying multiple drinks a day or dining in specialty restaurants, Free at Sea is worth it.

Don’t forget, you can opt out of perks if you don’t want to spend the hidden fees.

Marcello De Lio

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Trending now

I tried Norwegian's 'Free at Sea' promo for complimentary drinks, excursions, and more. My cruise was a great value but not as all-inclusive as it seemed.

• After 50+ cruises, I booked my first sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line using a "Free at Sea" promo.
• The promo promised everything from free bar drinks to included internet, specialty dining, and more.
• Some of the perks advertised fell short, but it saved my family a lot of money on our vacation.

As a frequent cruiser, I've often seen ads for Norwegian Cruise Line's (NCL) "Free at Sea" promotions, which promise a variety of complimentary perks, including specialty dining , bar packages, internet, shore excursions, and more. 

So, when booking a recent sailing to the Norwegian fjords I decided to try NCL and see if its "Free at Sea" package lived up to the hype. 

Ultimately, my family of three enjoyed the benefits this offering provided during our 10-night sailing on the Norwegian Prima. However, a few things surprised me . 

Here are the main things you should know if you're considering booking the package yourself. 

The number of included perks can vary based on the length of the cruise and the level of stateroom you purchase, so read the fine print.

NCL's "Free at Sea" promotion comes with various perks, but the exact benefits available vary based on several factors, including the length of the sailing, what type of stateroom you choose , and more. 

For example, I booked an ocean-view stateroom for my sailing, which entitled me and my husband to one complimentary meal in the specialty dining restaurant of our choice. However, guests who opted for a pricier balcony or suite room received additional dining credits.

Before booking, it's important to research and read all the fine to better understand what's included with your sailing .

The complimentary beverage package was the best deal, but it came with a few caveats.

Of the included perks, the unlimited bar package was a hit for me and my husband.

Although I generally don't opt for unlimited drink packages on cruises as I don't order enough to justify the hefty price tag, having beverages included on this sailing was a carefree addition to my vacation.

We did have to pay for the gratuities for this package, which amounted to $218 per person for our 10-night sailing, but we felt this was a relatively small price to pay for the convenience of not paying per drink. Plus, it was still a great deal because the unlimited drink package usually costs over $100 per person per day.

However, unlike drink packages offered by competitors such as Royal Caribbean, NCL's did not include bottled water or specialty coffees. These items still required an upcharge, as did premium alcoholic drinks costing more than $15.

The included internet was also a great value for those looking to do a small amount of browsing while at sea.

With the promo, my husband and I also each received a 150-minute internet package for use during our sailing. This was an amazing addition to our cruise as it gave us enough time to check in with the "real world" without feeling glued to our devices. 

Like many other included benefits, this package was only provided to the first two people on the booking. So, my 10-year-old son did not receive an internet package of his own. 

As an avid gamer, he was disappointed — especially since onboard gaming options at the ship's virtual-reality arcade, Galaxy Pavilion, were limited. However, as a parent, I was happy to see him (mostly) unplugged for a change.

Saving on excursions was a nice perk, but I don't like that they were listed on the NCL website as being "free."

In my opinion, the most misleading part of the "Free at Sea" offer had to be the "Free Excursions" listed on the NCL website. 

Just next to that offer, the site reads that each stateroom is actually only entitled to $50 off per tour for the first guest on the booking. A $50 excursion could be free with this promo, but all of the ones on my cruise cost well over $50.

For example, the Land of the Trolls excursion in Alesund, Norway, cost my family of three $577, or $527 after the $50 credit was applied. 

Saving money on excursions is always welcome, but I wish the language of the promotion had been more straightforward. 

Representatives for Norwegian Cruise Line didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider.

We loved the complimentary dining voucher for two, but our son had limited options.

With eight specialty restaurants on the Norwegian Prima, the complimentary dining voucher from the "Free at Sea" promo was a clear winner. The restaurants, which are not included in the cost of the cruise, have seafood, steak, sushi, tapas, and more.

My husband and I loved getting one free specialty dining meal — and we only had to pay $10 per person in gratuities. 

Again, this benefit was only for the first two people booked in my stateroom, so my son did not get complimentary dining unless he ordered from the standard kid's menu.

This menu, which included generic kiddie fare such as chicken nuggets, was the same every night of the cruise, making it a less-than-exciting option for my budding 10-year-old foodie. 

As such, we allowed him to order off the adult menu while dining with us at the ship's Italian eatery, Onda by Scarpetta, which cost us an additional $44.35.

Although NCL's "Free at Sea" promotion was not as comprehensive as I had hoped, it saved my family money and is a good value for budget-conscious travelers.

Norwegian Cruise Line's "Free at Sea" promo sometimes includes other perks, such as discounted flights, and it often can be combined with other ongoing deals that provide additional savings.

It's this combo of compelling offers that helps make NCL a great choice for anyone looking to get a lot of bang for their buck.

Not only did my family save hundreds of dollars on drinks, dining, and shore excursions, but also we enjoyed things we likely would not have splurged on otherwise , such as the internet package.

So, although I was a little underwhelmed with some of the savings advertised, I believe the "Free at Sea" promotion offers good value for travelers, and it greatly enhanced my family's vacation experience.

• Main content

NCL Free At Sea: Everything You Need to Know

What exactly is “NCL Free at Sea”? Dive into the Norwegian Free at Sea promotion and explore the latest NCL Free at Sea Plus addition. Is it a worthwhile choice?

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea offer includes free specialty dining, unlimited open bar, Wi-Fi minutes, shore excursion credits, and sometimes 3rd & 4th guests free and-or free flights. But is it a fit for every cruiser?

After our Norwegian Joy cruise , we debated the value of the beverage package. One of us is completely sober, questioning its worth. But then, on our Norwegian Encore cruise to Alaska , we upgraded to the NCL Free at Sea Plus .

Let’s look at what’s included in your options and help determine if you should take advantage of the NCL’s year-round promotion offers and if upgrading to NCL Free at Sea Plus is worth it. Follow along as we review Norwegian’s Free at Sea offer in 2024.

Which one is your favorite Norwegian Free at Sea perk?

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we earn a commission at no extra cost. Please refer to our  full disclosure  for details.

• The pricing and examples provided apply to a seven-night duration and are calculated for two passengers.
• Tasty Itinerary is an independent entity not associated with or employed by Norwegian Cruise Line.

Table of Contents

What is Norwegian’s Free at Sea?

Norwegian’s Free at Sea is a promotion that allows cruisers of the following perks:

Free Unlimited Open Bar

Free specialty dining, free shore excursions.

The 5th and 6th perk rotates throughout the year, and sometimes they are both offered at the same time.

• Free 3rd & 4th Guests

Free Airfare

** The NCL Free at Sea package does not apply to Sail Away rates and cabins.

Upgrades Available:

• NCL Free at Sea Plus Explained

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Original Free At Sea Promotions Explained

Let’s dive in and look at the NCL Free at Sea offers so you can decide if they’re right for you.

• Make sure to go through the Terms & Conditions of Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free At Sea promotions. While we cover essential details below, it’s advisable to familiarize yourself with the additional fine print.

Save now, share with friends, or come back to it later.

NCL Free at Sea Open Bar

Premium Beverage Package for cruises over three days (valued at $109 per person daily).

• Covers drinks up to $15; extra charges for exceeding this limit.
• Free-flowing cocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages (up to $15) from boarding to disembarkation, including some favorite NCL cruise cocktails .
• You can order two drinks at a time.
• Exclusions: Unlimited bottled water, bottles of wine, energy drinks, specialty coffees, mini bar items, high-end spirits, etc.
• Free open bar for guests 1-8, aged 21 and older; minors get the soda package.
• 20% service/gratuities of the value of the package is added to the cruise fare.

Is there a service fee for the NCL Free at Sea Open Bar?

Yes. Opting for the NCL Free At Sea drink package adds a 20% gratuity to your cruise fare, calculated on the Beverage Package’s value ($109 per person per day for double occupancy) at the time of booking. The service charge is automatically included when you add this perk to your reservation.

Is Norwegian Free at Sea Open Bar worth it?

Whether the cruise drink package is worth it depends on your drink preferences and consumption. Calculate daily drinks at $9 to $15 each, reaching at least $305 for a 7-day cruise for two.

• If the estimate exceeds the service fee, it’s worthwhile.
• If it equals the service fee, it’s still worth considering.
• If it’s half the service fee or less, it may not be the best choice.

The beverage package offers convenience for worry-free ordering, whether you prefer soda or virgin frozen drinks.

Alternatively, a soda package at $9.95 per person daily plus a 20% gratuity is an option. However, after doing the math, you might find the Free Open Bar’s gratuities provide better value.

Calculation example: ($10 per drink) x (how many drinks a day) = estimated total for one cruise day. (Total of one cruise day) x (# of days of your cruise) = estimated total for the entire cruise. You can also use our handy Cruise Drink Package Calculator below.

Cruise Drink Calculator

Option to Upgrade to the NCL Free at Sea Plus

Another option is upgrading the Free at Sea Open Bar to the Premium Plus Beverage Package without having to upgrade to the full NCL Free at Sea Plus . The Premium Plus Beverage Package costs $29 per person per day, plus 20% gratuity.

With the NCL Free at Sea Plus , your beverage package will be upgraded to the Premium Plus Beverage Package, which includes Starbucks, all bottled water, high-end spirits, and more.

About the Hawaii Beverage Package

Pride of America sailings does not qualify for the Free at Sea Open Bar offer. It has a similar Hawaii Beverage Package; the difference is that it includes bottled water and specialty coffee (in dining rooms only). It applies to guests 1-8 in the stateroom.

Read more: Norwegian Drink Packages Explained

NCL Free Specialty Dining

Free Specialty Dining Package Inclusions (NCL):

• Guests enjoy complimentary meals at specialty restaurants.
• The number of meals included in the offer depends on the stateroom type and the length of the cruise.
• Applies to guests 1 & 2.
• Covers one appetizer, soup or salad, main entree, and dessert per guest.
• 20% service/gratuities added to the cruise fare.
• Other stateroom guests: Purchase a dining package or pay a la carte.
• Children can order from the kid’s menu.

How many meals are included in NCl free at sea?

The free specialty dining is a great offer if you enjoy eating at the cruise ship’s pay restaurants. As foodies, we take full advantage of this offer.

You can make reservations for specialty restaurant dining starting 90 days before embarkation day . You can also book your dining reservations on embarkation day. So, if they seem to be booked full online, don’t worry; the ship only releases a certain percentage of the reservations online. Just wait till you embark on making the reservations.

What is included in the free specialty dining package on NCL?

When dining at an ala carte restaurant, the NCL free specialty dining package will cover one appetizer, soup or salad, a main entree, and dessert for each guest (guests 1 & 2). If the restaurant cost is a cover charge, then the dining package will cover the cover charge to that restaurant.

Is there a service fee for the NCL Free at Sea Specialty Dining?

Yes, a 20% service fee covers the value of a specialty dining package, which retails at $89 to $119 per person. The service fee is minimal, ranging from $10 to $24 per person.

If you add this perk to your reservation, the service charge is automatically added to the cost of your cruise.

Is Norwegian Free at Sea Specialty Dining worth it?

Since the service fee is minimal, it is well worth the cost of their NCl specialty dining package to dine at the ala carte specialty restaurants. These restaurants serve top-notch gourmet food that differs from the main dining room. Your dinners easily add up to over $100 at a specialty restaurant without a specialty dining package.

This offer allows you to try out some of the best restaurants at sea without breaking the bank.

It may not be worth it if you don’t think you’ll use it or if you plan to eat most of your meals at the buffet.

If you upgrade to the Free at Sea Plus , you will receive two additional specialty dining meals for guests 1 & 2.

Want additional specialty dining meals without upgrading to the Free at Sea Plus ? Upgrade for $69 per person, plus 20% gratuity for an additional 2 Meal Dining Package .

NCL Free at Sea Shore Excursions

• Not a free excursion, but a $50 discount.
• Applies only to the first guest in the reservation.
• Credit is applied to shore excursions booked with Norwegian Cruise Line.

Consider it a discount for shore excursions at all ports of call in your itinerary (excluding pre/post-cruise tours). If you discover a shore excursion priced at $50 or less, it could be a “free” excursion for one person.

Is there a service fee for the NCL Free at Sea Free Shore Excursions?

No. There is no service fee added when booking shore excursions.

Is Norwegian Free at Sea Shore Excursions worth it?

It all depends on your port preferences. If you tend to book cruise line-sponsored excursions at every port, this offer can be a money-saver—a handy discount. However, keep in mind that cruise ship-advertised tour costs can be inflated. Before deciding, compare them with independently run tours.

For cruisers who prefer independent exploration or booking their excursions, as we do, this offer might not be the most valuable choice.

In exceptional instances, you might stumble upon tours, tickets, or transfers at port that align with the discount’s value, essentially converting it into a complimentary tour.

Read more: Tips to Book Cruise Shore Excursions On Your Own

Thinking about upgrading to Free at Sea Plus ? When you upgrade, a $50 credit is added to guest 2 in the cabin. This brings the shore excursion credit to $100 per stateroom per tour ($50 per guest 1 & 2).

NCL Free at Sea Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi Free offers include internet minutes you can use during your cruise.

• 75 minutes per person (guests 1 & 2) for 3-6 day cruises
• 150 minutes per person (guests 1 & 2) for 7-11 day cruises
• 300 minutes per person (guests 1 & 2) for cruises over 12 days

Is there a service fee for the NCL Free at Sea WiFi?

No service fee.

Is Norwegian Free at Sea WiFi worth it?

It depends on your internet usage plans. The free minutes suffice for checking emails and texts a few times on the cruise until you’re onshore.

Choosing this perk won’t incur any extra cost as part of the “choose all perks” offer.

With Free at Sea Plus , you will receive unlimited internet for guests 1 & 2, but it will not include streaming.

You can upgrade your Free at Sea WiFi to Unlimited Wifi without upgrading to the full Free at Sea Plus package.

• Unlimited WiFi (no streaming): $109.03/person (guest 1&2).
• Premium Unlimited WiFi (with streaming): $179.93/person (guest 1&2).

3rd & 4th Guests Sail Free

NCL Free 3rd & 4th Guests

This NCL Free At Sea Offer is free to cruise fare and is known as 3rd & 4th guests Free or at $99 per guest. Sometimes, this promo is also known as “Kids Sail Free.”

• 3 & 4 Guests Sail Free or for $99 per guest, with dates subject to change without notice.
• Only available on select sailings.
• Only valid for guests 3-4 sharing a stateroom with guests 1-2 paying full fare. Guests 5-8 in a reservation must pay fares.

The NCL Free at Sea offer for the third and fourth guests in a stateroom is great for families of four or groups of friends willing to share a cabin.

This offer is not always available as a perk, but it comes up often.

NCL Free at Sea Airfare

This perk offers a roundtrip economy airfare for the 2nd guest, occasionally a 50% credit. The 1st guest will have to pay full airfare via NCL.

• The promotion applies to guests 1-2 only.
• Does not apply to sail away sailings.
• Not available for sailings less than 7 nights.
• Deviation requests of 2 days before or after the cruise need to be submitted in advance.

How does NCL free airfare work?

Norwegian takes charge of your airfare, determining the flight details closer to the cruise date. This could result in multi-stop flights that might have been direct if booked independently.

Opting for flexibility may lead to significant savings, especially for international cruises with embarkation and disembarkation in foreign destinations.

While the potential savings are considerable, the drawback lies in relinquishing control over the airfare details.

We personally don’t favor NCL’s free airfare due to the lack of control over specifics. Our advice is to handle your airfare independently to avoid surprises.

The Option to Upgrade with Norwegian Free at Sea Plus

What is Norwegian Cruise Line’s Free at Sea Plus?

NCL Free at Sea Plus is the latest addition to Norwegian’s Free at Sea program. And it is a game changer! You can elevate your Norwegian cruise vacation by upgrading to the NCL Free at Sea Plus for an additional cost per person. It includes an upgraded version of everything in the original Free at Sea promotion.

What is the cost of the NCL Free at Sea Plus ?

Upgrading to NCL Free at Sea Plus is an extra $49 per person daily for guests 1 & 2, plus gratuities. It’s important to note that you must have initially selected the original Free at Sea promo to qualify for this upgrade.

What is included in the NCL Free at Sea Plus ?

NCL Free at Sea Plus (based on a 7-day cruise on a balcony and above) includes:

• Premium Beverage Plus Package
• 4-night Specialty Dining Package (two nights from the original Free-at-Sea promo, plus two nights from the Free-at-Sea Plus upgrade)
• $100 shore excursion credit per tour ($50 for the 1st passenger from the original promo, plus $50 for the 2nd passenger with the NCL Free-at-Sea Plus upgrade)
• Unlimited Wifi (no streaming)

Is the Free at Sea Plus worth it?

That is going to be up to your budget and cruise vacation style. Will you drink an additional $700+ on a 7-day cruise? Is two extra nights of specialty dining and free unlimited Wi-Fi (no streaming) important to you?

We upgraded to the Free at Sea Plus Package on our Norwegian Encore cruise and found it valuable, even though my husband is sober. By the end of the cruise, we came out even.

We ordered all the Starbucks we wanted to drink and multiple pellegrinos throughout the day, and I ordered top-shelf drinks and even enjoyed $30 glasses of champagne at Le Bistro. The unlimited Wi-Fi kept us in touch with our dog sitter and family. We tried two extra specialty restaurants, and was worth it since it was a full-capacity cruise and the MDRs were overwhelmed.

It was fun. It was convenient. And it worked for us and what we wanted out of our cruise.

NCL Free at Sea FAQs

How many norwegian free at sea promotions can you choose.

Typically, the number of perks you can choose is determined by the booked cabin category. However, keep an eye out for limited-time offers where all cabin categories may have the option to select all the available offers. The Open Bar perk extends to guests 1-8, while the remaining perks apply to the lead guests 1 & 2 in the stateroom .

Is NCL free at sea really free?

Not entirely. While the package is labeled as “free,” a service fee/gratuity is attached, depending on the selected offers. If you opt for the “free” Open Bar or the “free” Dining Package, a 20% gratuity/service fee, calculated based on the package value, is added to your cruise fare.

In essence, the package is complimentary, but gratuities/service fees are not covered.

The debate about whether it’s genuinely free due to the service fee is subjective—some argue tipping bartenders for drinks is common.

Another important consideration in marketing and promotions is that the cost of many of these “free perks” is likely already included in the overall cruise fare . Despite this, the allure of complimentary perks remains universally appealing.

Does NCL Free at Sea Include Gratuities?

Cruise gratuities are not part of the NCL Free at Sea package. Although there have been instances when free gratuities were offered as a perk, they typically exclude gratuities on beverage packages, dining packages, and other services.

When does Norwegian’s Free at Sea sale happen?

The NCL Free at Sea promotion is ongoing throughout the year. Perks may vary, offering a choice of 2 or all, with occasional additions of other NCL promotions to enhance its appeal.

When does the Norwegian Free at Sea promotion end?

The Norwegian Free at Sea promotion never ends. The perks rotate or change throughout the year and sometimes with additional perks.

Is Norwegian Free at Sea worth it?

The NCL Free at Sea can be worth it, especially if your drinking habits align with the perks and you enjoy dining at specialty restaurants. It becomes a great promotion when you see the additional gratuities as added value.

🚢 Book a CrUISE with NCL

BEFORE YOU SET SAIL, HERE ARE SOME RELATED ARTICLES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS:

• NCL Drink Package List Explained
• Norwegian Cruise Drinks Cruisers Love
• 10 Highlights of Norwegian Cruise Line
• Getting Ready for Your Cruise: 11 Tips

Meet Kathy Ava, a food, travel, and cruise writer based in Los Angeles/Pasadena, and the owner and main writer of Tasty Itinerary. With over 20 years of experience planning trips and logistics at her full-time job and for herself, she's become a pro at crafting unforgettable tasty itineraries. She's always on the hunt for delicious, fun travel destinations and cruise itineraries. She firmly believes that life is short and we must make the most of it, so always say yes to dessert.

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This was very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

Appreciate your comment. Happy to hear it helped.

• Norwegian Cruise Line

Internet Package discounts on board

By annmarz , June 2, 2022 in Norwegian Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

I know that you can upgrade your "free" internet minutes onboard, and that it is best to wait till the second day of the cruise before logging in - thanks to all the posters on this board.  What I want to know is that are better discounts offered as the cruise progresses?  

Link to comment

Share on other sites, screenname2004.

For our 3/27/2022 cruise on NCL Bliss, we had 150 "free" internet minutes each as one of the perks. For day 1 & 2, we can upgrade for $110 for one device. From day 2 onward, $90 to upgrade. If you have not used your minutes, you can upgrade from the app at any time. If you have, the upgrade option disappeared from your app starting on day 2 and you have to do the upgrade at the internet cafe.

1 hour ago, screenname2004 said: For our 3/27/2022 cruise on NCL Bliss, we had 150 "free" internet minutes each as one of the perks. For day 1 & 2, we can upgrade for $110 for one device. From day 2 onward, $90 to upgrade. If you have not used your minutes, you can upgrade from the app at any time. If you have, the upgrade option disappeared from your app starting on day 2 and you have to do the upgrade at the internet cafe.

"not used your minutes" at all? or "not used up all your minutes"?

2 minutes ago, mkkao924 said: "not used your minutes" at all? or "not used up all your minutes"?

When the upgrade option "disappear" on day 2, person 1 used less than 30 minutes out of the 150. Person 2 did not use any minutes till day 6 and the upgrade option (at $90) was on the app till then.  Did not check exactly when the upgrade option dropped off on person 2's app.

8 hours ago, screenname2004 said: For our 3/27/2022 cruise on NCL Bliss, we had 150 "free" internet minutes each as one of the perks. For day 1 & 2, we can upgrade for $110 for one device. From day 2 onward, $90 to upgrade. If you have not used your minutes, you can upgrade from the app at any time. If you have, the upgrade option disappeared from your app starting on day 2 and you have to do the upgrade at the internet cafe.

But does this represent a true discount or just that you're buying fewer internet days since it's already Day 3+?  

On my last 7 day cruise, the upgrade cost was <$100.  On this 10 day it's something like $175.  Someone explained the math previously so it makes sense but still seems like a lot of money.  But I need to be in touch with work so I won't really have a choice and will just budget it in.

• 2 weeks later...

cruiseinfoseeker

On 6/2/2022 at 6:52 AM, phillygwm said: But does this represent a true discount or just that you're buying fewer internet days since it's already Day 3+?     On my last 7 day cruise, the upgrade cost was <$100.  On this 10 day it's something like $175.  Someone explained the math previously so it makes sense but still seems like a lot of money.  But I need to be in touch with work so I won't really have a choice and will just budget it in.

someone needs to explain the math to me.

I upgraded (precruise) the 150 FAS minutes to the premium unlimited on a 7 day cruise in May for $179.93. That is approx. $25.70 per day. I have a 12 night booked on getaway for January. The FAS promo is 300 minutes per person on that one. So double the 7 night minutes free. HOWEVER, the 12 night to upgrade to the premium unlimited is $334.88. That is approx. $27.91 per day.  Help me with that math. double minutes- less than double amount of cruising days, but HIGHER per day upgrading cost.  Insane cost, really. 

(and I have another 7 night booked in May 2023 with FAS 150 showing premium unlimited upgrade same $179.93 that I paid for the 7 night this year, so it isn't just an across the board increase. )

We really would prefer the streaming (especially me as I'm hard of hearing so I need closed captioned programming and there is none of that on cabin tvs- except sometimes the international CNN or FOX with horrible lag time and/or horrible captioners--maybe not actual people doing it just an app-- and frankly not what I want to watch to wind down at the end of the day)

The profit on wifi for NCL is irritatingly over-the-top in my opinion

10 hours ago, cruiseinfoseeker said: I upgraded (precruise) the 150 FAS minutes to the premium unlimited on a 7 day cruise in May for $179.93. That is approx. $25.70 per day. I have a 12 night booked on getaway for January.

Not sure where those numbers came from.  I did a 7 day sailing in December and the upgrade cost was something less than $100 (I don't remember precisely.)  For my next 10 day cruise, the upgrade cost is $174.90 ($224 for premium.)

Someone else will have the specifics but the calculation is based on the FAS package having a fixed value.  That is subtracted from the non-upgraded package cost for the overall price.

Can you upgrade before boarding, if you have the free wifi, or do you have to wait til you're onboard?

4 hours ago, Dopeyjoy said: Can you upgrade before boarding, if you have the free wifi, or do you have to wait til you're onboard?

You should see the upgrade options in the Explore and Plan section of the website for your cruise.  Or you could wait until you're onboard.  I'll do the latter as then I can apply OBC to the cost.

The other question, if you’re an upper tier Latitudes member, you get 15% off the internet packages.  Is that combinable with the Free at Sea discounts?

1 hour ago, graphicguy said: The other question, if you’re an upper tier Latitudes member, you get 15% off the internet packages.  Is that combinable with the Free at Sea discounts?

I believe not.  When I look at my internet upgrade, it doesn't show the 15% Platinum discount I should receive.  The odd part is I've tried to add other Internet packages (not upgrading from FAS, just to see if it works) and it doesn't.  So not sure whether it would reflect if you called NCL to add or did it onboard but it doesn't seem to reflect online.

@graphicguy  - iCafe's upgrades can no longer be stacked or combined to maximize Latitudes discounts that otherwise are valid - unless it's charged at the full retail prices, not on the Getaway nor the Joy recently (20% for being Sapphire would've been nice, huh.)  Just upgrade first, onboard using NR OBC on Day 1 - do not use any of the available 150 airtime minutes.  There are still conflicting reports depending on CC'ers and the ship s/he sailed on, as to whether you are charged one day less if you do the upgrade or conversion to unlimited after midnight as that's technically Day #2 then.  

I upgrade my plan to unlimited on a 7 nighters for the duration, charged about $110 for the difference.  DW's "free" 150 minutes remained available & usable - that can be registered and used on a different device, or shared with someone else.  

NCL changed the rules of the games on it as we emerge from the 😷  pandemic ... it is what it is.   😠  

Mrs. M now just "spend" less duty-free shopping since her allocation of OBC has been slashed as a indirect result, to keep her busy on the unlimited plan.  

5 minutes ago, mking8288 said: @graphicguy  - iCafe's upgrades can no longer be stacked or combined to maximize Latitudes discounts that otherwise are valid - unless it's charged at the full retail prices, not on the Getaway nor the Joy recently (20% for being Sapphire would've been nice, huh.)  Just upgrade first, onboard using NR OBC on Day 1 - do not use any of the available 150 airtime minutes.  There are still conflicting reports depending on CC'ers and the ship s/he sailed on, as to whether you are charged one day less if you do the upgrade or conversion to unlimited after midnight as that's technically Day #2 then.     I upgrade my plan to unlimited on a 7 nighters for the duration, charged about $110 for the difference.  DW's "free" 150 minutes remained available & usable - that can be registered and used on a different device, or shared with someone else.     NCL changed the rules of the games on it as we emerge from the 😷  pandemic ... it is what it is.   😠   Mrs. M now just "spend" less duty-free shopping since her allocation of OBC has been slashed as a indirect result, to keep her busy on the unlimited plan.  

I used to be “up” on all of NCL’s policies.  Now?  Not so much!  Too many rule changes, too much time has passed.

Also checking to see if the Latitudes excursion discounts can be combines with the $50 excursion credit.

Does anyone know if it is possible to swap the free minutes for one  of the Unlimited Social Media Wi-Fi plans?

CrazyTrain2

I'm bringing my own StarLink satellite dish - it's gotta be cheaper.  😁

John&LaLa

On 6/21/2022 at 4:25 PM, CrazyTrain2 said: I'm bringing my own StarLink satellite dish - it's gotta be cheaper.  😁

Probably won't work. Royal inking deal with Elon. Already setup on Freedom

• 2 months later...

On 6/20/2022 at 4:49 PM, graphicguy said: Thanks!     I used to be “up” on all of NCL’s policies.  Now?  Not so much!  Too many rule changes, too much time has passed.   Also checking to see if the Latitudes excursion discounts can be combines with the $50 excursion credit.

Yes, it can.  I just booked three excursions and it took off an additional 10%.

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Good Deal? Everything to Know About Norwegian’s “Free At Sea” Sale

Norwegian Cruise Line’s “Free at Sea” deal is one of the most appealing cruise line offers out there. After all, everyone likes getting something for free.

But is it a good deal? It is worth buying? And what details should you know when you book?

While cruise passengers have gotten used to shelling out plenty of cash for extras on the ship after they board, not everyone likes being nickeled-and-dimed.

That’s why this offer aims to provide many of the extras you’d normally buy on a trip, all included in your cruise fare at a price that’s normally less than if you booked them all separately. That gives you a more all-inclusive atmosphere on the ship, instead of worrying about more spending once on the ship.

With Free at Sea, you book a cruise and get any number of “free” perks included with your cruise. While what’s offered to passengers does change slightly from time to time, the traditional deal offers a lineup of perks for you to select from:

• Free open bar
• Free specialty dining
• Free shore excursions
• Free third/fourth guests

So with the deal you can pay one price and then get drinks for the duration of your trip, wi-fi, shore excursions, and more.

Norwegian has been offering some version of the sale for some time now. And anecdotally, it’s one of the most appealing offers out there. Who doesn’t want to get free drinks or free specialty dining tacked onto their cruise? In fact, it promises to take away so many of the extra charges that creep into the cost of a cruise these days.

But while the sale sounds mouth-watering, there are definitely some things you will want to know before you purchase your fare in order to get the best deal… and avoid any surprises.

In This Article...

The Number of Perks May Depend On Your Cabin Type (But Often Includes All Perks For Every Cabin)

First things first, while you can get all the perks included with your cruise, the number of freebies you can select may depend on the type of cabin that you purchase. Often no matter which cabin type you book, all the perks are included. Other times, it may be that the higher grade of cabin you choose, the more picks you receive. The offer can change occasionally.

If you book at a time when not everything is included, then if you pick a studio or inside cabin, you might only be offered one or two free perks. Oceanview, balcony, and mini-suites will usually get to pick more offers offers, while suites, and The Haven cabins normally get to select all the perks. 

But it seems limiting the perks based on cabin type is becoming less common . For example, as of this writing all cabins — regardless of if they are inside rooms or top-of-the-line suites — are able to get all the perks included in their fare.

Sometimes More Perks Are Offered

In addition to changing the number of perks included with the room you book, NCL also adjusts the actual perks themselves at times. Typically, this means adding a perk or two occasionally to sweeten the offer.

What you’ll find is the five base “freebies” don’t change. They include: 

But occasionally the cruise line adds in other deals. Most recently we’ve seen seen free airfare for second guests (for those flying to the port) and free cruise credit to put toward booking another trip while onboard the ship.

The Free at Sea Offer Runs Consistently

With the ability to get all the perks included with your cruise, it can be tempting to want to jump at the deal so that you don’t miss out. In fact, normally you’ll see a timer on the Norwegian website counting down until the sale ends.

In this case, you don’t seem to have much to worry about. The offer has run in some form or another (there are small tweaks here and there) for years. And while we don’t check every day, we can’t think of a time in recent history that it hasn’t been offered.

So yes, the sale may change slightly, but some form is seemingly always offered. Don’t think you have to rush to buy or risk missing out. If the time isn’t quite right to book, you’ll most likely see something similar when you are ready.  

Rooms Without Perks Are Less Expensive (If You Can Find Them)

One of the things you might not realize is that you can purchase cabins on the ship without the perks offered. Why would you want to do that? Sailing without the perks is actually cheaper than buying the same cabin as part of the sale.

Take a balcony cabin we found for 7-day Alaskan cruise, for instance. The price per person for a balcony cabin that included the Free at Sea offer was $2,369 per person. 

Norwegian also offers a “Sail Away” balcony, which is a room that’s not part of the promotion, and the cruise line picks your room. In return, you get a cheaper rate. In this case, it was $2,319 per person.

So the Free at Sea deal was actually $50 more per person — or $100 extra for a couple sailing together.

Remember that for that price difference you get all the perks and get to choose your actual cabin on the ship. As well, if you plan to buy things like drink packages ($109 per person, per day), you still come out way ahead despite the higher price. Still, it is a higher price to pay for the same type of room.

If the perks aren’t something you’ll use, then it may not be worth it for you to book the offer. But for most people, it likely will be worth the extra cost.

One thing to note is that it seems the fares without the offer often say they are sold out on NCL’s website. It may be difficult for you to find a fare without the offer.

You May HAVE to Buy the Free at Sea Offer

In years past, there was a rather large difference between the cruise fares with the Free at Sea offer and those sail away balconies (on the order of hundreds of dollars). Then that difference seemed to get smaller and smaller to where booking with the offer was a no-brainer. Now, it can be seemingly tough to find a cruise without the offer included.

During our most recent price checks, we looked at several cruises departing in the weeks ahead all the way to more than a year out. On none of them were we able to find a sail away room available. While the option was shown for all cruises, the website labeled them all sold old — even for cruises leaving more than a year from now. Meanwhile, there were still options available with the Free at Sea perks included.

In other words, if you wanted a fare without the offer, it may be tough to find.

You Still Have to Pay Gratuity… Even on Free Things

One of the biggest draws to the Norwegian sale is that you can get free open bar on your trip. With the price of alcohol on a cruise being high (think $10-14 for a cocktail or about $6-8 for a beer), having free bar privileges can be a huge money saver. Meanwhile, Norwegian charges $109 for an unlimited drink package. On a 7-day trip, that’s hundreds of dollars you’re saving by having it included.

But with the free drink package (as well as other things like specialty restaurants), you are still on the hook for gratuities. With Norwegian, that’s an automatic 20% on the value of the package, or $21.80 per person, per day. For two people, that’s $43.60 each day.

So on a 7-day cruise, a couple will end up paying more than $300 in gratuities for your “free” drinks.

It’s similar with the specialty dining package. There, you will see gratuities on the free meals with the offer, which are paid when booking.

You can opt out of the free drink package and specialty dining to avoid paying the gratuities. (See more on that below.)

You Don’t Have to Select a Perk If You Don’t Want It

With the extra gratuity cost of some perks like free drinks and specialty dining, there can actually be a disadvantage to having it included on your cruise if you don’t use these offers. That’s ok. When you book, you don’t have to take advantage of every single perk that’s offered.

When making your reservation, you have the choice to opt out of those packages that require a gratuity charge such as the drink package and specialty dining. That way if you don’t think you’ll get your money’s worth, you don’t have to pay the gratuity charge.

Understand the Terms & Conditions Before Booking (Lots of Fine Print)

In general the perks from Norwegian are straightforward, but there are some terms you should know about.

Gratuities: We’ve mentioned that gratuities are still charged even on free perks. But if you take advantage of the third and fourth guests in a cabin sail free perk, they will still be charged a daily service charge of $20 per person on the ship like any other passenger.

Specialty Dining: While other things to know include that the free specialty dining perk is only for a some meals (two per person in total for a 7-day cruise if booking a balcony cabin, for example but only one per person in a studio, inside, or oceanview) and gratuities are also charged on the value of the package.

Wi-Fi: The free wi-fi offer is for only 75 minutes on cruises less than seven days or 150 minutes for trips of 7-11 days. It is not unlimited.

Shore Excursions: While the shore excursions are labeled as “free” in fact, it is actually a $50 credit for the first guest, per excursion. If your excursion is more, then you’ll need to pay the difference. And NCL says the “offer is application to first guest on the cruise reservation” — not multiple guests in the cabin.

For the full terms and conditions of the offers, you can click here . And here is a breakdown of what’s included from Norwegian Cruise Line.

“Free At Sea Plus” Offer Could Be Better For You

Maybe you’ve made the choice to book Free at Sea instead of a basic cabin without the perks. There’s one more choice to consider, and that is Free at Sea versus Free at Sea Plus.

Norwegian has created an upgrade with the following perks included:

• Premium Plus Beverage Package (includes all top-shelf spirits)
• Two additional specialty dining meals
• $50 shore excursion credit per tour for both first and second passenger
• Unlimited wi-fi for first and second passenger  

Compared to the regular Free at Sea deal, this includes a higher-tier drink package , more specialty dining meals, an additional $50 credit per shore excursion, and unlimited wi-fi instead of a bundle of minutes.

The price runs $49 per person, per day ($29 pp for kids and $42 pp if traveling solo).

Given the list prices of these services, you do come out ahead with this package if you used the features. For instance, the Premium Plus Beverage Package is $29 more per day while unlimited wi-fi runs $30-40 per day. That alone is more than the $49 per day that you’ll spend. Add on a couple of uses of the $50 shore excursion credit and the additional meals, and you’re well in the black.

But these are also extras that you may not need. For instance, many passengers would be just fine with the basic drink package. Some may not need unlimited wi-fi. Others may take only an excursion or two during the trip, meaning the discount isn’t as big a deal.

Before you book, you’ll want to do the math to figure if the daily cost ($98 a day for a couple traveling) is worth the upgrade. 

Check Prices on Airfare Offers

One of the perks that can be popular for people living a distance from the port is free airfare. Often, it is free for the second guest on the cruise, although the offer specifics can vary.

As you might expect, there are some caveats when it comes to free flights. Most notably, airfare charges will vary depending on where you’re flying from. You’ll be able to select your departure city, and then it will tell you the price of airfare for the guest that does have to pay.

In that case, it’s worth a quick search of flight-search websites like Kayak to see what the airfare rate will be. In a recent search, we found flights on our own for several hundred dollars cheaper than what we were quoted on the NCL website. However, when you consider the free airfare for the second guest, the Free at Sea offer was better overall.  

Good Deal? Likely, but Do the Math Before You Buy

For many people, selecting the Free at Sea offer is a no-brainer (or may be required if a sail away fare isn’t available), and they will end up saving a considerable amount of money. 

But if you aren’t a big drinker or plan to drive to the port instead of fly, or don’t care about shore excursions, it could be that buying the cheaper cabin is worth it for you. After all, you’ll have to pay gratuities on the drink package, still have to pay for some flights, and pay gratuities on specialty restaurant dining.

So if you won’t use the perks that are offered, be sure to consider if the deal is worth paying the higher price. If not, then you might be better off sailing without them. Even so, there’s a reason the offer is popular — for many people it’s a smart move.

More on Sailing NCL:

Worth It? Complete Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Drink Package Guide

• 25+ Fun Must-Do Things on a Norwegian Cruise

20+ Norwegian Cruise Tips, Tricks, and Things to Know

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Ncl offers additional 50% off from normal 50% off. It says upon reservation to see as it is added to latitudes account. So in order to actually see total cost I have to book the cruise?

Please Beware, If you take the “Free” drink package you will be charged the $19.80 per day regardless of weather you drink or not, we do not drink. When I asked for a refund of the $200 gratuities Norwegian now says it is a service charge and not refundable. So the “Free” drink package cost us $200, IMO very dishonest and misleading.

Also they advertise a Bingo with a $5000 prize. AFTER you buy the tickets then then tell you the “RULES” You have to get a full card in 47 or less numbers to get this prize. It has about the same odds as getting struck by lightning.

At this point if you are considering a cruise with this company please investigate their claims carefully. This is my 4th cruise and the first with Norwegian while the entertainment and food were decent their business practices are very suspect .

I bough the cheaper inside cabin and got 2 free perks and 50 dolars OBC. The gratuities are included we don’t have to pay more. https://www.ncl.com/es/en/free-at-sea “Offer is applicable to all categories including IX, OX, BX and MX (Sail Away Categories).” “20% gratuities on the retail value of the Premium Beverage Package ($19.80 USD per person per day) and/or Soda Package ($1.59 USD per person per day) are included.”

Looks like you’re booking a cruise in Europe. For U.S. departures, there is still the $19.80 in gratuities you have to pay:

“Guest is responsible for 20% gratuities on the retail value of the Premium Beverage Package ($19.80 per person per day) and/or Soda Package ($1.59 per person per day) prior to cruise.”

What a joke, only get the one free perk when you book inside cabin, if you do not buy the least expensive inside cabin. If you upgrade (pay more) you could get the one free perk of $50 per cabin. Just spoke to Norwegian on the phone, to get the correct information. I Asked about the cost to use the bowling alley on the pearl, which I saw on a review from a past guest was $5. But this rep told me there is no bowling alley, now I am confused. Any body got any more interesting tips around things we should know about before we sail. Love to hear from you.

Been on the Pearl 5 years ago. Yes they have a bowling alley. I believe 4 lanes only. Line to use it was crazy. Not worth it. Also this ship had very few bars and lounges. They used the space to put in many specialty (pay extra) restaurants. I’d never go back on the Pearl.

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How can I get Wi-Fi on a cruise for free?

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

If you want to cruise while staying connected, you usually must fork over some serious cash for onboard Wi-Fi access.

How much are we talking? If you're a family of four with two teens addicted to their cell phones, it would cost $380 to get Royal Caribbean's cheapest Wi-Fi package on four devices on a weeklong cruise if you book in advance; prices onboard are 20% higher.

If you're wondering how to avoid this expense and get free cruise Wi-Fi, you'll be relieved to know you do have options. Here are some tips and tricks for getting onboard internet with no charge.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Book a cruise with inclusive fares

The rule of thumb for getting free Wi-Fi on a cruise is the opposite of getting Wi-Fi free when you stay in a hotel. On land, low to mid-priced hotels often include Wi-Fi for free, while premium and luxury brands are more likely to charge for internet. At sea, mainstream cruise lines usually do not include Wi-Fi in their cruise fares, but premium and luxury lines almost always do.

Cruise lines that include free Wi-Fi for all passengers are luxury lines like Seabourn , Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, along with upscale cruise lines Oceania Cruises and Viking .

Among the big-ship lines, Celebrity Cruises , adds Wi-Fi as part of their "Always Included" program that also includes drinks and tips, but you should know that they offer lower-priced cruise-only base fares for those who don't want those add-ons. The newest North American cruise line, Virgin Voyages , rounds out the list of cruise lines offering Wi-Fi for no additional charge.

Book a suite that comes with free Wi-Fi

Some cruise lines offer free Wi-Fi to guests sailing in their top suites. With Star and Sky Suite Class perks, suite guests onboard Royal Caribbean 's Oasis and Quantum class ships get free premium Voom Wi-Fi. The free Wi-Fi perk applies to Grand Suites and above.

Passengers who choose to sail in MSC Cruises ' Yacht Club suites, an exclusive luxury cruise area within each ship, get free premium unlimited Wi-Fi for the duration of their cruise.

Related: 7 reasons you should splurge for a suite on your next cruise

Choose free Wi-Fi as a booking perk

Certain cruise lines choose to offer free perks instead of price discounts as booking incentives, and a common add-on is free cruise Wi-Fi.

For example, Norwegian Cruise Line has frequent (almost perpetual) sale deals known as "Free at Sea," that allow you to pick from among a menu of perks. One of those perks is free Wi-Fi. Just beware, the line's lowest fares, designated as "Sail Away" fares are cruise-only fares and typically do not include complimentary internet regardless of the deal being offered for standard fares.

Other cruise lines occasionally offer deals that include Wi-Fi as a perk, especially during "wave season," which runs between January and March. Holland America 's "Ultimate Upgrade Event" is a good example; book during the promotion and you can score free Wi-Fi.

Related: The best cruise booking perks -- and which ones are actually free

Use onboard credit to pay for a Wi-Fi package

Many cruise lines offer onboard credit as a booking perk; it's a credit to your onboard spending account that results in free money you can only spend onboard the ship. You can use your credit to pay for onboard internet access, thereby getting Wi-Fi on your cruise for free!

On most cruise lines, you'll need a minimum of $100 in onboard credit per device for a week's worth of free basic Wi-Fi. On lines that offer premium plans designed for streaming, you'll need around $20 per day per device.

How do you acquire this onboard credit? You have several options. The most common is taking advantage of limited-time cruise sales offering onboard credit You can find these directly through the cruise line, but also cruise-specific travel agent sites, which may have access to onboard credit offers not found anywhere else. The same holds true for airline and credit card travel planning sites such as United Cruises, Delta Vacations and Cruises or the Amex Cruise Privileges program.

You can also earn this free spending money by booking your next sailing while onboard a ship at the future cruise desk. Even owning a cruise line's stock can get you onboard credit each time you cruise with the line.

One caveat: When looking at booking bonuses to cover your Wi-Fi costs, be sure to compare prices and perks across sites.

For example, The Points Guy did a recent sampling of fares on the Amex site, checking them against Holland America's and found that the fares were quite similar, but the bonuses were not. Amex was offering onboard credit of $150 on a seven-night Alaska sailing in a balcony cabin, with no mention of any other specials or perks. The same fare on Holland America's website included four perks with a total value well over $150. One of the perks the cruise line offered was free Wi-Fi for the cruise.

Join a cruise line loyalty program

Cruise line loyalty programs would seem to be a good fit for free Wi-Fi for frequent cruisers, but historically, these programs have leaned more toward discounts than freebies. Only Cunard offers genuine free Wi-Fi, starting at two free hours after two voyages or 20 nights onboard. The free time online increases to four hours at the Platinum level and eight complimentary hours at the Diamond level.

Celebrity Cruises does have a free Wi-Fi perk in its Captain's Club loyalty program , but only the top Zenith tier. You can get unlimited free internet (the faster plan since everyone gets the basic) but you have to earn 3,000 points first, a feat that requires you to first spend 1,000 days at sea with the cruise line.

Internet discounts in the mainstream programs top out around 25% off packages if they offer a discount at all. Only Princess Cruises was better with a 50% discount on the line's MedallionNet Wi-Fi packages after only five cruises.

You can turn a discount into free Wi-Fi by combining two perks. For example, you could use onboard credit to cover the remaining cost of Internet after your loyalty program Wi-Fi discount.

Use cruise line credit card points to buy Wi-Fi

Cruise line credit cards vary in their rewards programs, especially when you are looking at how to earn and redeem enough points for a free cruise. What they all have in common, however, is the ability to redeem smaller batches of points for either onboard credit or a statement credit for your onboard purchases, including Wi-Fi packages.

Related: Best credit cards for booking cruises

Carnival Corporation brands each have their own branded card, but fall under the same Barclays rewards program, sharing points you earn across the brands. That means you can pay for your Carnival Cruise Line cruise with a Princess Cruises credit card and still receive double points. You can redeem those points for statement credit for the Wi-Fi you paid for onboard your cruise.

Similarly, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity each have branded Bank of America cards, but share a points program administered by My Cruise Points. Points are then redeemed for everything from onboard credit to free cruises. The Disney® Premier Visa® Card by Chase earns points which can be redeemed for Disney reward dollars to use on your Disney Cruise Line cruise, including for Wi-Fi.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
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• What to pack for your first cruise

Understanding the Benefits & Catches of NCL's Free at Sea Program

Cruise line marketing teams are crafty folks, and pricing strategies sometimes make figuring out what you’re getting and for how much a bit confusing.  This is perhaps most true with Norwegian Cruise Lines, where they’re always in the midst of a sale that has limited time left, and they look to bundle a lot of extras with their fares.  Looking past the multitude of fine print and options can be tricky - but we’ll help make it clearer so you understand exactly what’s right for you.

What is NCL’s Free at Sea Offer?

Most of NCL’s sailings these days include NCL’s “Free at Sea” offer, bundling drinks, Wi-Fi, dining , and other amenities with the price of a cruise.  Specifically, this includes their premium beverage package, specialty dining credits, shore excursion credits, an internet package, and often, free air for a second guest.  Of course, there are details to hash out with each one of those things, which we’ll address.

When is Free at Sea Offered?

This collection of items may be advertised as “free unlimited open bar, airfare, and more” or some other combination of perks - but the core offer is Free at Sea.  It’s also worth pointing out that NCL often makes it seem as if parts of this offer are about to go away - and maybe that will happen, but we find that while cruise fares vary, this offer is pretty consistent.  In other words, if you’re looking at an NCL cruise, Free at Sea is probably available to you.

The Catch with NCL’s Free at Sea Program

Whether it’s to entice people to book or simply because you can’t fit every detail of an offer in the corner of an advertisement (probably a combination of both), the initial presentation of Free at Sea perks may look much more simple, and perhaps generous, than it is.  That doesn’t necessarily mean the program isn’t valuable - but it’s important to know what’s really included.  Let’s go over the details of each benefit.

Free Unlimited Open Bar

The Premium Beverage Package included with Free at Sea includes drinks up to $15, such as cocktails, beer , wine, and juices.  What’s not included, however, are specialty coffees or packaged water.  This isn’t bad, and while we appreciated the particularly high-end spirits available for an up-charge (or with the Premium Plus package), on our recent NCL Encore Alaska cruise, we found there was no shortage of quality options available with this package.

What many guests don’t expect with an included beverage package is the need to pay anything, and while the core package cost of $109 per person/per day is included, the required gratuities are not.  This means that if you opt to take advantage of the included beverage package when you book, you’ll pay 20% of the value of the package.  So, the included package will actually set back two guests $305.20 on a seven night cruise.

Free Specialty Dining

Specialty dining restaurants are a big deal on NCL, because some of their ships have a lot of them.  The Free Specialty Dining offer isn’t unlimited, but allows for a set number of specialty meals depending on the length of your cruise and cabin type.  On seven to 11 night cruises, the first two guests in a balcony stateroom will get two meals at a specialty restaurant.  While the true value depends on where you choose to dine, the assigned value in this case is $99 (for two people, per meal), which means there will be a $39.60 gratuity charge added with this included offering.

Because this one can be a bit more complex, we’ll put the breakdown for different sailing lengths and stateroom types below (all assuming a stateroom with two guests).

Three- to six-night cruise, any cabin: one meal ($118 value, $23.60 gratuity)

Seven- to 11-night cruise, studio, inside or oceanview cabin: one meal ($118 value, $23.60 gratuity)

Seven- to 11-night cruise, balcony cabin or above: two meals ($198 value, $39.60 gratuity)

Twelve-night cruise or longer, studio, inside or oceanview cabin: two meals ($198 value, $39.60 gratuity)

Twelve-night cruise or longer, balcony cabin or above: three meals ($278 value, $55.60 gratuity)

To start, it’s important to know that for any cruise line, Wi-Fi is always included in order for you to use the cruise line app, and sometimes other services.  What guests actually pay for is internet access while connected to that Wi-Fi network.  If you’re still confused, this is something we help explain in this article .

What is included with this part of the offer can also be a bit confusing, but similar to dining , guests do not get unlimited internet access included with Free at Sea.  What you actually get is a certain number of included minutes of internet access - but that goes very quickly.  The good news is that you can use this as credit to upgrade to other internet packages, such as the Unlimited or Unlimited Premium packages, which are normally priced at $29.99 and $39.99 per device per day, respectively.  For a recent seven night cruise, the included access offered us 150 minutes of access, or $130 credit for upgrade, allowing us to upgrade to the Unlimited Premium (which includes streaming) for $129.93.

Free Excursions

Shore excursions, on any line, can vary greatly in price, and what is included here won’t get you many excursions, but it will get you $50 off of one excursion, for one guest in each port of call.  So, if you want to go to the Baths at Virgin Gorda (and you really should), and NCL offers that tour for $150 per person, then the two of you can go for $250 total, and get another $50 off another tour in the next port.  

Where you’ll want to be careful here is making sure that it’s not cheaper to abandon the discount in favor of booking an excursion through a third party.  We discuss the pros and cons of this extensively in this article , and include it in our video discussing the multiple things you should consider when planning your time ashore .  This in mind, you might think that NCL’s private islands of Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Cay might be the perfect places to use a $50 credit, and you’re not wrong - but you can’t use this credit on equipment rentals at these locations (though other tours at these destinations are compatible with the credit).

Free Airfare

This isn't technically part of the Free at Sea offer, but it seems to be tacked on as an extra very frequently, so it's worth mentioning.  Few things are as enticing to travelers as free airfare, and what NCL offers here can be a significant value…or a non-starter.  If you book air through NCL’s air-to-sea program they’ll give you two air tickets for the price of one.  This can be a great deal, but there are two big things to consider.  First, air prices vary a ton, so you’ll need to price this out to see if you can get your air taken care of independently for less money.  Fortunately NCL makes this pretty easy, as when you or your travel advisor is pricing your cruise they display the price based on which origin airport you choose.  The second consideration is timing.  We always recommend you arrive to the embarkation city at least a day before you sail.  NCL allows guests to fly in up to two days early, but if you want to extend your trip by more than that, or if you want to pick your flights (airline, arrival time, etc) then this perk may not be of value to you.  

Final Considerations for Free at Sea

The offer, for many guests, is a net positive - but as you can see there are things to know and consider so that you’re not caught off guard by the additional costs or restrictions.  If you don’t think you’ll use these perks, then you can definitely look to see what Sail Away rates might be available, which don’t build any of these things into your cruise cost - but in our experience the rates aren’t so drastically different that it makes sense even if the only perk you’ll use is the beverage package.

Still, you can part out the offer.  If you’re not going to drink at least the cost in gratuities , then opt out of the drinks - the same logic applies to specialty dining.  If you stick with limited internet, don’t forget to log out as soon as you’re done browsing.  In other words, do the math based on what you expect you’ll value and enjoy.  If you’re someone that thinks you’ll benefit from additional add-ons, such as Unlimited internet and the Premium Plus drink package, then look into NCL’s Free at Sea Plus program, which bundles these in, along with more shore excursion and specialty dining credits.  Just know that you can only choose this update before you sail.

The biggest thing that may help you save money and decode these offers?  Use a good travel agent.  They can help clear things up and sometimes get you additional incentives not available by booking directly, in addition to providing valuable service and letting you skip the call centers.  You can find out more about using a travel agent in this article .  However you book, and whatever you do, choose the right cruise for you, and have a great time.

View the discussion thread.

The ultimate guide to Norwegian Cruise Line ships and itineraries

L ooking for a cruise where you can do what you want, whenever you want, without a lot of structure and rules? Norwegian Cruise Line could be your brand.

The Miami-based cruise line pioneered the idea of "freestyle cruising" — cruising without rigid dining schedules, dress codes and formal nights — and it's still the go-to line for vacationers who want a floating resort experience with a casual, laissez-faire vibe.

Instead of a few big main restaurants with fixed seating times, Norwegian ships offer a wide range of eateries and no assigned seating times — just make a reservation. When it's time for dinner, if you want to dress up, fine. There's no rule saying you must, though.

For more cruise guides, news and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Norwegian vessels also offer lots of options for daytime fun but are particularly well known for evening entertainment. You'll find everything from music halls with Beatles cover bands and dueling piano bars to theaters with some of the most elaborate shows at sea — including some big-name Broadway productions.

Norwegian ships are also loaded with bars, lounges and nightclubs, including always-busy casinos. Put it all together, and you have vessels with a very lively atmosphere — particularly at night. If you had to compare Norwegian ships to something on land, you'd probably say they were like floating versions of the casino resorts you find in Las Vegas.

Just to be clear, Norwegian is a big-ship line . Its largest vessels are among the biggest cruise ships at sea (they must be, to accommodate everything mentioned above). If you want an intimate cruise experience, Norwegian probably isn't a good choice.

That said, the line does offer some smaller ships that aren't quite as big and bustling as its giants.

Norwegian is also a mass-market brand, not a luxury cruise operator. Still, as we'll explain below, it offers a wide range of accommodations, some of which fall squarely in the luxury segment. In some cases, its ships have an exclusive area full of high-end cabins and suites called The Haven that comes with its own private pools, lounge areas and even restaurants.

In short, if you want to turn a Norwegian cruise into a luxury experience , you can do that, too. Norwegian really is the line where you make the trip what you want it to be.

Related: Which cruise brand is right for you?

3 things TPG loves about Norwegian Cruise Line

• The do-what-you-want freestyle vibe
• The wide range of restaurants, bars and nightspots
• The stellar entertainment

What we could do without

• The sky-high extra charges

The Norwegian Cruise Line fleet

Norwegian is the world's fourth-largest cruise line by passenger capacity, with 19 ships that together offer 56,780 berths.

Smaller only than Royal Caribbean , Carnival Cruise Line and MSC Cruises , the brand has become increasingly known for having some of the biggest, most amenity-filled vessels at sea. The line doesn't just operate giant ships, though. More than half of its fleet is comprised of vessels that, by today's standards, are considered almost midsize.

Indeed, Norwegian is essentially two cruise lines in one. The line's nine newest ships are big, bustling floating megaresorts that can carry upwards of 3,000 to 4,000 passengers at double occupancy (and even more with every berth filled). At around 143,000 to nearly 170,000 tons, all eight currently rank among the 50 biggest cruise ships in the world (although their rankings will shift downward as more big ships debut).

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

However, Norwegian's 10 older ships are much more modest in size, measuring around 75,000 to 94,000 tons and carrying closer to 2,000 passengers at double occupancy.

Norwegian thus appeals both to cruisers who like a giant resort vibe and those who prefer something more modest. The key, depending on your tastes, is getting on the right ship in the fleet.

On the big-ship end of the spectrum, Norwegian's four relatively new Breakaway Plus-class vessels — Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Escape — are the line's premier offerings. While not quite as big as Royal Caribbean's giant, Oasis-class ships , they are firmly in the pantheon of the world's cruising giants. They are the Norwegian vessels most packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment and over-the-top attractions.

Unveiled in 2019, Norwegian Encore is, notably, the 23rd biggest cruise ship in the world as of this story's publishing (it will drop in the rankings over the coming years as additional megaships debut). At 169,116 tons, it's bigger than all but three Carnival ships. Only Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have significantly more bigger vessels.

One step down in size from the Breakaway Plus ships are the still-quite-large Breakaway-class ships — Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway — as well as the one-of-a-kind Norwegian Epic and the recently unveiled Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva .

Around 17% smaller than Norwegian's biggest vessels, Prima and Viva are the first tow of six sister ships that the line will roll out between now and 2027 that will significantly change the composition of its fleet. While not the biggest vessels in the Norwegian fleet, these ships will be notably packed with restaurants, bars, entertainment venues and decktop attractions. They also mark a more upscale turn for the line, with more space per passenger than earlier Norwegian ships and lots of suites.

Related: I've been on nearly every Norwegian ship. Here are my first impressions of Norwegian Prima

Norwegian's 10 smaller vessels break down among five classes, but many are roughly the same size and offer similar amenities.

One notable outlier among the smaller ships is the 2,186-passenger Pride of America. Sporting a patriotic U.S. theme (you'll find venues named after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams), and a distinct array of lounges and entertainment, it's the only big cruise vessel based year-round in Hawaii.

Pride of America notably operates with a mostly U.S. crew, in keeping with regulations governing cruise itineraries that only include U.S. ports.

Related: Our take on the new Norwegian Encore

Destinations and itineraries

Norwegian sails almost everywhere in the world, but its heaviest presence is in the Caribbean, Europe and Alaska.

In a typical summer, the line will deploy nearly half its ships to Europe while sending several more to the West Coast to sail to Alaska from Seattle; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Seward, Alaska. It'll also operate trips to Bermuda from New York City and Boston, usually with two ships, and trips to the Bahamas and the Caribbean out of Miami.

During the winter, the line will move many of its vessels to North America to operate sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas. It also sends a few ships to Asia, Australia and South America, and it'll typically keep a single vessel in Europe, too.

As mentioned above, the line also operates one ship (Pride of America) in Hawaii year-round. It's the only cruise line to offer year-round voyages in Hawaii.

In North America, Norwegian ships sail out of Baltimore; Boston; Galveston, Texas; New York City; Miami; Tampa; San Juan, Puerto Rico; New Orleans; San Diego; Los Angeles; San Francisco; Seattle; Honolulu; Vancouver, British Columbia; Quebec City; and Seward, Alaska.

In Europe, Norwegian ships sail out of Amsterdam; Stockholm; Copenhagen; Oslo and Tromso, Norway; Southampton and Portsmouth, England; Le Havre, France; Reykjavik; Lisbon, Portugal; Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Trieste, Italy (near Venice); Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens); and Istanbul.

Related: The best Caribbean cruise for every type of traveler

Who sails Norwegian Cruise Line?

Norwegian appeals to vacationers who want a big-resort experience at sea with lots of options for dining and entertainment. In that, it's similar to Royal Caribbean — perhaps its closest competitor.

However, unlike Royal Caribbean, Norwegian hasn't retained any of the trappings of old-style cruising. There are no formal nights, as you'll still find on Royal Caribbean ships, or dress codes. Norwegian has also thoroughly done away with the concept of big main restaurants with fixed seating.

Because of that, Norwegian is popular with people who are seeking flexibility — freedom to eat when they want, with whom they want and to dress however they want, for sure, but also more freedom in general to just set their own schedule day and night.

Norwegian cruises are very unstructured vacations, and that's by design.

Like Royal Caribbean ships, Norwegian vessels have an inordinate amount of teen- and tween-friendly attractions — everything from some of the largest waterslides at sea to the only go-kart tracks on the ocean . That makes them particularly appealing to families, including multigenerational groups. Families are a big part of Norwegian's business.

It's not just families that flock to Norwegian, though. The line's ships are designed to offer a little something for everyone, and thus they appeal to a wide demographic, including couples of all ages and even solo travelers (the line has been a leader in adding solo cabins to ships in recent years). They also draw customers with a wide range of incomes.

At their core, Norwegian ships are mass-market ships, with entry-level cabins that are affordable to middle-class travelers. However, overlaid across most vessels are high-end suites and services that are at a luxury level, and the line draws a good number of luxury-seeking travelers.

The exclusive, keycard-accessed suite complex called The Haven (found on 13 of Norwegian's 19 ships) comes with private lounges, pools and other tony features. It's essentially a small, luxury vessel that has been planted atop otherwise middle-class, mass-market megaships. These complexes appeal to well-heeled travelers who want a luxury cruising experience while also getting all the fun attractions, entertainment and dining venues only a mass-market megaship can offer.

Cabins and suites

Norwegian is known for offering a wide range of accommodations on its ships. You'll find everything from relatively low-cost, windowless inside cabins that measure as little as 135 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to massive, multi-room suites that are more than 50 times that size.

At the high end, the accommodations are aimed at affluent travelers who, for whatever reason, prefer the megaship experience to that of a luxury ship, and they truly are among the most spectacular accommodations at sea.

Some, such as the giant Garden Villas found on six Norwegian ships — Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star — sprawl over thousands of square feet and have as many as three bedrooms plus separate living rooms and dining rooms.

The Garden Villas also have private outdoor sun decks and courtyards with hot tubs. Additionally, the Garden Villas on Norwegian Dawn and Norwegian Star include private outdoor dining areas and steam rooms.

Depending on the ship, top suites can come with perks such as private butlers and concierges who attend to your every need, access to a private restaurant, a private suite lounge and sun deck, reserved seating in entertainment venues and priority boarding and disembarkation.

On more than half of Norwegian's ships, many of the top suites are part of The Haven. Billed as an upscale "ship within a ship" and aimed at luxury travelers, The Haven is located at the very top of vessels and often comes with private lounges, pools, sunning areas and even restaurants.

Norwegian is also heralded for kicking off the trend of more solo cabins on cruise ships . In 2010, it debuted an entire zone of small studio cabins for one — 128 in all — on its then-new, 4,070-passenger Norwegian Epic, and it has since added them to seven more new ships.

The studio cabins are tiny at just 100 square feet. However, they're superbly designed to maximize storage space. On the ships that have them, they are clustered around an exclusive Studio Lounge where solo travelers can mingle at daily happy hour gatherings.

Related: What it takes to get concierge lounge access on a cruise ship

Restaurants and dining

Norwegian was an early pioneer of the idea of giving cruisers lots of choices when it comes to restaurants on ships, and even its smallest vessels offer a wide range of options.

On Norwegian's recently built Breakaway Plus-class ships, there are up to 20 places to grab a bite, ranging from high-end French restaurants and steakhouses to casual pubs.

Every vessel has two or three main restaurants and a casual buffet where meals are included in the fare — the latter is usually called the Garden Cafe.

Other included-in-the-fare venues found on some ships include O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grill, a casual pub; an outdoor bar and grill called Topsiders; and casual Asian restaurants that go by many names including Shanghai's Noodle Bar, Ginza and Bamboo.

Also, every ship has a least four and often many more extra-charge eateries. Two found across the entire fleet are Cagney's, the line's signature steakhouse, and Le Bistro, a fine French restaurant. Every ship also has an Italian restaurant, called Onda by Scarpetta or La Cucina. There also are churrascaria restaurants called Moderno on most Norwegian vessels.

On some ships, you'll also find Ocean Blue, a seafood restaurant; The District Brew House, a gastropub serving craft beers; and a Mexican spot called either Los Lobos or Los Lobos Cantina. Every vessel has some sort of sushi restaurant, often called Sushi or Wasabi, and there are hibachi-style teppanyaki restaurants on nearly every Norwegian vessel.

You might even find Starbucks stores on some ships (the one-year-old Norwegian Prima has two!) and there are Starbucks products on every Norwegian vessel. Also, some ships have private restaurants just for passengers staying in The Haven.

Some of the extra-charge restaurants come with a flat fee (the teppanyaki outlets are $59 per person, not including the cost of drinks). However, most are a la carte, with sometimes hefty pricing. One thing you need to know upfront about going on a Norwegian cruise is that there are a lot of extra charges — and sometimes quite high extra charges — on the line's ships, particularly for things like restaurants.

A surf-and-turf dish at Ocean Blue that combines an 8-ounce filet mignon with a lobster tail costs $55, for example. If you just order a whole lobster, you'll be out $49. The least expensive entree on the menu, a roasted cauliflower steak, is $22.

If you know you want to eat at several extra-charge restaurants during a single voyage, you can buy one of several dining packages that offer meals at a discount.

Related: The 7 best meals you can have at sea

Entertainment and activities

Few lines offer as broad a range of entertainment and activities on their ships as Norwegian. The line's biggest vessels offer multiple entertainment venues, from theaters to comedy clubs; a wide range of deck-top attractions; large casinos; full-service spas; and even virtual reality attractions. You'll also find a seemingly endless array of bars, lounges and nightspots.

Theaters and shows

Entertainment is one of the core areas where Norwegian excels, and if you're the kind of person who loves nights out with live music and lively performances on your vacations, you're going to love the line.

Many of Norwegian's biggest ships have state-of-the-art theaters as big as those you'd find on Broadway, with big-name productions to match. Norwegian Bliss, for instance, has the Tony Award-winning "Jersey Boys."

In some cases, the Broadway shows are cut down slightly from the original versions, and the casts aren't quite as seasoned as what you'll find on Broadway. However, these are quality productions. The best part is they are entirely free. Compare that with the hundreds of dollars you'd spend to take your family to a show in New York City.

Norwegian ships also are jam-packed with music venues. Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Epic, for instance, have the Cavern Club, a reproduction of the British club that gave rise to the Beatles. It comes complete with a cover band that plays the group's greatest hits.

There are also Howl at the Moon dueling piano bars on some Norwegian ships, and there's the lively Q Texas Smokehouse found on Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy (a music-and-food concept that pairs live music with barbecue).

In addition, several Norwegian ships offer dinner theater venues with circus-type productions, and one vessel, Norwegian Getaway, features a magic-infused dinner theater show in a steampunk-inspired space called The Illusionarium.

Several ships also offer comedy club entertainment.

Other interior attractions and activities

In addition to entertainment spaces, the interiors of Norwegian ships are loaded with other venues where passengers can kick back and let loose day and night.

All but one Norwegian ship (Pride of America) has a casino, and on the line's bigger vessels, they are huge operations. The casino on Norwegian Encore has more than 300 slot machines and 26 table games (including blackjack, roulette, poker and craps), plus its own bar.

On the line's big Breakaway-class and Breakaway Plus-class ships, the casino — along with a large proportion of all onboard restaurants, bars and clubs — sprawls across three central decks connected by an atrium-like space known as 678 Ocean Place (the name derives from the location of the decks, which on each ship are decks 6, 7 and 8). At night, these three-deck complexes become bustling places.

The Breakaway- and Breakaway Plus-class ships have innovative outdoor promenades called The Waterfront lined with seating for many restaurants and bars. The Waterfront is located on Deck 8 of each of the ships, which is one of the main decks for restaurants on them all.

Like the ships of the Breakaway and Breakaway-plus classes, the Prima Class ships have a lively zone that mixes casino space, bars, eateries and entertainment that sprawls across decks 6, 7 and 8. These vessels also have outdoor eating space in an area called Ocean Boulevard.

In addition, Norwegian two new Prima Class ships (Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva), as well as another relatively new Norwegian vessels — Norwegian Encore — have innovative gaming and virtual reality zones called Galaxy Pavilion (a fourth Galaxy Pavilion area on Norwegian Joy is being removed during an overhaul in dry dock scheduled for early 2024).

There's nothing quite like Galaxy Pavilion in the cruise world. The venue has an amazing array of high-tech virtual reality experiences, including incredibly realistic race car simulators (on Norwegian Encore, there are eight in a row along one wall), hang gliding simulators, virtual mazes and a virtual reality "Jurassic Park" ride.

The Galaxy Pavilion on Norwegian Encore is the biggest of them all. Among added features, it includes a 45-minute escape room experience laced with special effects. Themed around a Spanish galleon, it's designed to be played by up to six people at a time.

Just be warned that you'll pay a hefty fee to play in the Galaxy Pavilion. A weeklong pass to the venue will set you back $199 per person. There also are hourlong passes available for $29 per person, or you can sample a single ride for $8 (except for the escape room, which is priced separately at $15 per person).

There's also a bowling alley on Norwegian Epic and duck pin bowling lanes on Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Breakaway.

Norwegian ships also all have Mandara Spas, which can be quite big on the bigger vessels, and there are fitness centers on every ship.

Deck-top attractions

What you'll find on the top decks of Norwegian ships will vary quite a bit depending on the vessel. The line's smaller ships will have at least one or two pools, sunning areas and usually a sports court area — but not all that much else.

The big ships are a different story.

On the line's Breakaway-, Breakaway Plus- and Epic-class ships, you'll find giant waterslides and kiddie splash zones and, in some cases, even more over-the-top attractions such as go-kart tracks and laser tag arenas.

The go-kart tracks (now on Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy) are quickly becoming Norwegian's signature can-you-believe-this-is-on-a-ship attraction, and they truly are impressive. The biggest two of them, on Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima, are nearly 1,400 feet long and sprawl over three decks.

Note that this is some serious go-karting. The cars that Norwegian uses can hit speeds up to 32 miles per hour. Three of the speedways, on Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Encore, also feature middle-of-the-track observation areas where your family and friends can cheer you on to victory — and even shoot you with "lasers" that'll give you a boost of power.

The open-air laser tag arenas also are significant venues that are unlike anything you'll find atop the ships of other lines. The one on Norwegian Encore, which is the largest laser tag arena ever put on a ship, is themed around the lost city of Atlantis and spans the back of the vessel.

As is the case with the Galaxy Pavilion attractions mentioned above, the go-kart and laser tag experiences on Norwegian ships don't come cheap. You'll pay $15 per person for an eight-lap romp on the go-karts. Joining a five-minute laser shootout costs $10 per person. In both cases, you can buy a weeklong pass for $199.

The top decks of a few Norwegian ships — mostly the bigger ones — also have a ropes course, a climbing wall or both. Some vessels also have miniature golf courses.

You'll find an exclusive, extra-charge, adults-only VIP sunning area on seven Norwegian ships called Vibe Beach Club. The biggest of these areas is on Norwegian Encore, where Vibe Beach Club is an expansive private lounge with a full-service bar, cabanas and two hot tubs designed to hold up to 270 people — far more than on other ships.

For those with money to burn (pricing on Norwegian Encore recently was $99 per person for a day pass), the Vibe Beach Clubs are lovely, secluded deck-top hideaways. However, there's a downside for everyone else on board the ships that have them, which is that they take away from the deck-top lounge space available to everybody else.

Related: The 12 cruise ships with the most spectacular attractions at sea

Children's programs

As is typical for big-ship cruise lines, Norwegian has an extensive children's program, with programs and activities for children as young as 6 months through the age of 17.

The heart of the program, called Splash Academy, brings free, supervised activities daily for children ages 3 to 12. The line splits children here up into three age groups: Turtles (ages 3 to 5), Seals (ages 6 to 9) and Dolphins (ages 10 to 12), and they each have their own age-appropriate activities ranging from treasure hunts to video game competitions. On many ships, there are extensive dedicated spaces for the different groups.

While the free programming ends at 10:30 p.m., you can pay extra to leave your kids at Splash Academy past 10:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., when it's billed as the Late Night Fun Zone.

Norwegian also has rooms on its ships for babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 3 years. Called Guppies, the program offers parents a place to play with their youngest children, with occasional youth staff-led activities and games.

Norwegian also offers dedicated teen zones and programming on ships for children ages 13 to 17. Called Entourage, the teen zone is a place for teens to hang out, dance and play games, and it's supervised by counselors who plan activities and challenges.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

A passport is required for all cruises leaving from a non-U.S. port and all Panama Canal sailings (regardless of departure port). If you're a U.S. citizen, you don't need a passport for most sailings from U.S. ports (including sailings to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska).

Instead, you can travel with a state-certified birth certificate or other proof of citizenship and a driver's license or other government-issued photo identification. That said, Norwegian strongly recommends that all travelers bring a passport.

Passports must be valid for at least six months after your trip, and the name on your reservation must be exactly as it's printed on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Norwegian adds an automatic service charge of $20 to $25 per person, per day, to final bills, depending on your cabin category. Depending on the service you receive, you can adjust the amount up or down at the guest services desk before disembarking. In addition, a 20% gratuity is added to the bill at bars, extra-charge specialty restaurants and ship spas.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise ship

Norwegian has been rolling out faster Wi-Fi systems across its fleet in recent years, so you can now stream video on ships.

Pricing changes over time, but the fastest "premium" service on Norwegian vessels recently was priced at $39.99 per person per day, if you bought it in advance. Norwegian also offers a less expensive plan that doesn't allow video streaming for $29.99 per person per day if purchased in advance.

This pricing is quite a bit higher than what some other lines, such as Carnival or Princess, charge for Wi-Fi. Princess recently was charging just $14.99 per person per day for a WiFi package.

Related: Wi-Fi on ships really is getting better

Carry-on drinks policy

Norwegian allows you to bring bottles of your own wine or Champagne on board, but it will charge you a hefty corkage fee of $15 per bottle for the privilege — even if you plan to drink the bottle in your room. This is a more draconian policy than you'll find at most lines. Most lines allow passengers to bring at least a bottle or two of their own wine on board at no charge.

Smoking policy

On all ships, smoking (including e-cigarette smoking) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas, cigar lounges (for cigar smoking only) and casinos. It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies. Passengers caught smoking in their cabins will be fined $250 per occurrence.

Unlike many cruise vessels, Norwegian ships do not have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks for passenger use. Instead, the line offers extra-charge laundry and dry cleaning services.

Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services

Electrical outlets

All cabins on Norwegian vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets and European-style, 220-volt outlets. Some cabins also have USB ports.

The currency used on all Norwegian itineraries is U.S. dollars. All vessels operate on a cashless system with any onboard purchases you make posting automatically to your onboard account. You'll receive a cruise card you can use to make charges. This same card also lets you into your cabin.

Drinking age

The official drinking age on Norwegian ships is 21. That said, passengers who are 18 to 20 can purchase and consume beer or wine on ships in international waters with permission from parents or legal guardians. The parent or legal guardian must be on board and sign a waiver at guest services. The lower drinking age in international waters does not apply during sailings in Alaska and Hawaii.

Norwegian Cruise Line may be the most laid-back line out there when it comes to dress codes. You can basically wear whatever you want, whenever you want.

The line specifically says that casual wear (think: khakis, jeans, shorts and casual shirts for men; casual dresses, skirts, shorts, jeans and tops for women) is just fine anytime during the day, at the buffet and in most specialty restaurants.

The line just recommends a step up to "smart casual" outfits in its more formal dining rooms and upscale specialty restaurants. In keeping with Norwegian's laid-backness, this might still mean nothing more than a crisper pair of jeans, or maybe slacks with a collared shirt, for men. Definitely no need for a jacket. For women, slacks, jeans, dresses, skirts and tops will do fine.

Related: What to pack for your first cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line loyalty program

Norwegian has a point-based frequent cruiser program, Latitudes Rewards, that has seven tiers, ranging from Bronze (requiring 1 point) to Ambassador (700 points).

Members earn points for every night they sail on one of the line's ships. They get an additional point for every night they stay in a concierge room, a suite (not including stays in minisuites, or stays in suites resulting from an upgrade) or a room in The Haven. They also get an additional point for every night booked through a Latitudes Rewards Insider Offer.

Hitting the first tier, Bronze, takes one cruise. Reaching the second tier, Silver (20 points), would take at the most three cruises if you're doing seven-night trips.

Related: Everything you need to know about the Norwegian loyalty program

Lower tiers don't bring all that much in terms of truly valuable benefits. You'll get things like priority check-in and discounted spa treatments performed while ships are in port. However, higher levels of the program start to be enticing.

Platinum (75 points) brings free dinners at two extra-charge restaurants, a discount on an internet package, behind-the-scenes ship tours and concierge service.

The top Ambassador level brings a truly wonderful perk: a one-time complimentary seven-night cruise in a balcony cabin. You can pick almost any sailing except trips around Christmas and the new year.

In contrast to airline frequent-flyer programs, cruise line loyalty programs do not require you to requalify for status every year. So, yes, the perks with lower tiers aren't great. But it's not as difficult as it might at first seem to hit the more rewarding higher tiers in just a few years if you're cruising a lot.

A passenger staying in suites and booking through Latitudes Rewards Insider Offers could get to the Platinum level with just four seven-night cruises.

Related: The TPG guide to cruise line loyalty programs

How much does a Norwegian cruise cost?

Norwegian designs its ships to appeal to a broad mix of people, in part by offering a wide range of cabin types at varying price points. On a typical sailing, you might find an entry-level cabin for around $100 a night while a high-end suite is five to 15 times that amount.

At the time of this story's posting, A The Haven two-bedroom family villa on Norwegian Jewel for a seven-night Alaska cruise in August 2024, for example, was going for $13,978 per person, based on double occupancy. That's more than 13 times the cost of the least expensive inside cabin (which was starting at $1,058 per person, based on double occupancy). Oceanview cabins on the same sailing started at $1,698 per person, based on double occupancy.

Note the "based on double occupancy" caveat in the above paragraph. As is typical for cruise lines, Norwegian charges on a per-person basis, not per room, and it prices most cabins based on two people occupying a room. It does offer some cabins for solo travelers on some ships that are priced based on single occupancy.

In general, Norwegian's newer ships including Norwegian Viva, Norwegian Prima and the Breakaway-class and Breakaway Plus-class vessels will be more expensive than the line's older, smaller ships. However, there are many factors that go into pricing for any given cruise, including the popularity of the specific itinerary, the time of year when the cruise is taking place and changing demand trends.

As you might expect, pricing for all ships will generally be lower during offseason periods such as September and October.

The timing of when you book can also matter. Cruises book up much further in advance than airplanes or hotels, and many cruisers will tell you the best pricing for any given sailing often is available when cruises first go on sale (which can be a good two years before a departure). Booking far in advance will also give you the best chance of getting your preferred cabin type and location on a ship.

Once on board a Norwegian ship, you'll pay extra for most drinks, extra-charge restaurants, spa services, shore excursions, internet service and a few other things — unless you've bought a package for some of these items in advance. Some onboard activities such as go-karting also come with an extra charge. What's included in the fare is your lodging, meals (in non-extra-charge restaurants) and most entertainment.

Related: 15 ways that first-time cruisers waste money on a cruise

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to ncl.com to make a booking directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise (there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process — trust us) we recommend you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.

A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They can also help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure Norwegian is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who understands all the little quirks that are unique to Norwegian's cabin categories and, preferably, has done ship inspections to see the cabins firsthand.

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your purchase when paying for the cruise by using a card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve , which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit), or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on dining.

Bottom line

For big-ship lovers, Norwegian pretty much has it all. There's tons of great entertainment on Norwegian's vessels, plenty of venues for eating and drinking, and all sorts of deck-top diversions — at least on the line's newest ships. Throw in the brand's low starting prices, and it's an even more compelling package.

If we have a gripe with the line, it's about the "extra-charge creep" we've been seeing for attractions on Norwegian ships such as go-karts and laser tag in recent years, and the higher a la carte prices spreading across the line's onboard restaurants.

Then again, you get what you pay for, as the saying goes. If you're on a tight budget, there are plenty of included-in-the-fare choices for dining and entertainment. If money is no object, you can follow a different "journey" through the ship, as Norwegian executives like to say, to a far more high-end vacation.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April. 

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on March 23 , will return to Norfolk instead on April 4. "Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements," a spokesperson said in an email.

The ship's April 4 and 12 cruises will leave from Norfolk, too. "Our guests booked to sail with us will receive compensation due to the necessary adjustments made to their vacations," the spokesperson added. "After returning from the April 12 cruise, Vision will head to the Bahamas for its previously scheduled maintenance."

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

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Enjoy incredible experiences and value with our Onboard Packages. Savor Specialty Restaurants every night of your cruise with our Dining Package. Pair it with an Premium Beverage Package, and choose from exceptional wines, premium cocktails, popular beers and soda, or upgrade to our Premium Plus Beverage Package. Surprise your love with a Romance Package. Capture special moments with our Photo Package. Let us help you create lasting memories while you spend time enjoying them.

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Stay hydrated throughout your vacation by purchasing 6, 12 or 24 packs of water. With savings of up to 60% compared to the cost of individual cartons, you’ll save big all cruise long.

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